Author: Rhys Evans, NFFN Cymru Sustainable Farming Lead
NFFN Cymru gave oral evidence to the Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee’s consultation on the Food Bill alongside NFU Cymru, FUW and the Soil Association. We highlighted how a Wales Food Bill can help facilitate nature-friendly farming and deliver multiple benefits across the food system. If you want to know more, here’s a transcript of the evidence session and our written response.
Key Points
NFFN Cymru welcomes the introduction of a Wales Food Bill. The Food Bill’s primary aim should be to provide a legislative framework that enables policy coherence across the food system guided by agroecological principles.
At its core, the Bill must ensure effective integration of production, supply and consumption policies across Government (local and national) to address the climate and ecological emergencies, the public health crisis, the rise in household food insecurity and issues surrounding farmers and those working in the food sector struggling to make a living.
Syphoning off aspects of this proposed Bill into other parts of legislation or work programmes would not be a satisfactory approach as it would still lead to, or even exacerbate policy incoherence. This Bill puts the food system in the driving seat and gives it the priority that it deserves.
Achieving genuine, long-lasting food security depends on meeting the six-dimensional food security framework and should form the basis of the Primary Food Goals.
NFFN Cymru, as a member of Food Policy Alliance Cymru, recommends incorporating the six priorities, as outlined in the Priorities for a Food System Fit for Future Generations, into the secondary food goals.
Food production in Wales increasingly relies on resources from overseas. To create a globally responsible Wales, we must ensure that we understand and seek to minimise our environmental footprint overseas as well as in Wales. We must avoid looking at Wales’ food system in isolation.
A Food Commissioner, together with the Food Commission, should hold responsibility for carrying out the process of co-production (collaboration and involvement) to develop the Wales National Food Strategy, from the ground up.
We disagree with concerns regarding resource requirements, increased bureaucracy and policy misalignment being cited as reasons for not progressing this Bill.
Based on written responses to the consultation from various stakeholders alongside what was said in the other evidence sessions, there appears to be support across the board for the Food Bill to be introduced. However, this is not a Government Bill, and there remains work to be done to convince the Welsh Government to support this vital piece of legislation.
Building on NFFN Cymru’s key asks in our recent Rethink Food report, we will continue our to engage in the development of the Welsh Agriculture Bill and the Food Bill.