At a time of acute economic insecurity, the government’s public procurement policies create an opportunity to utilise public spending to invest in the economy, the environment, and the communities who produce the country’s food.
It is of great importance to the NFU that the food the country produces is served to the people of Britain at every opportunity. British farmers deliver high quality, fresh, seasonal and affordable food to world-leading environmental and welfare standards. The NFU believes it is in both the public and the producers’ interests that our public sector utilises our world-leading food and farming industry to deliver safe, traceable, affordable, nutritious food.
By investing in the nation’s food production system, the government can capitalise on the benefits which our agri-food economy delivers, whether in terms of food safety and production standards, environmental protection, or animal welfare.
It would be perverse if the government’s own purchasing decisions and public sector procurement guidelines did not reinforce and uphold British food standards in purchasing decisions as well as future trade deals.
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