The Sustainable Food Trust (SFT) is urging all UK political parties to prioritize the advancement of an environmentally sustainable and healthy food system in their manifestos ahead of the 12 December general election.
“This is an historic election that will prove critical to the UK’s economic position in Europe and the world,” says Honor May Eldrige, SFT head of policy. “While the most pressing political issue is Brexit, the next UK Government will bring forward legislation that will set the direction of travel for UK farming. For decades, intensive agriculture has wreaked havoc with our natural world. Now is the time for all parties to fully recognize the importance of food and farming to public health, our environment and our economy.”
Stressing that a mainstream shift to sustainable farming systems is urgently needed, the SFT has requested all the political parties in the UK to incorporate ten fundamental policies in their manifestos:
- Promote sustainable farming practices that function in harmony with nature
- Support local food systems, including maintaining a national network of local abattoirs
- Enshrine the polluter pays principle in law to hold polluters to account for any damaging impacts
- Adopt the precautionary principle into agricultural policy in terms of input safety
- Commit to ending hunger and guarantee everyone’s right to nutritious food
- Institute an annual sustainability audit for all farmers who receive funding from the public purse
- Reward farmers who work to build soil carbon, including through the greater use of grass and ruminants in rotations
- Improve animal health and contentment and end the routine use of antibiotics in healthy animals
- Commit to ending agriculture’s negative impact on global warming
- Increase fairness throughout the food supply chain and avoid lowering production standards and unbalanced trade tariffs
