The British Retailer Consortium, National Farmers Union, and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds came together to write to the Telegraph (published Saturday) about the need to protect sustainable farming budgets at the upcoming Spending Review.
Here is the letter in full:
In recent years, British consumers have understandably expected more from their weekly food shop. They want high quality, affordable food, with a lower impact on the environment.
Supermarkets and farmers work together to deliver that, producing some of the best British food on offer, from delicious summer strawberries to tasty cheddar cheese.
British food is renowned across the world, in part because of its high environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards – standards which our farmers and customers support.
But these standards can come with additional costs. Since Brexit, farmers in England no longer receive subsidies for producing food, only for delivering significant environmental improvements thereby helping government meet its own legally binding targets.
This critical funding enables farmers to invest in protecting rivers and wildlife, planting trees and hedges, and growing food in a more environmentally friendly way. All this is at risk if investment in sustainable farming is cut at the upcoming spending review. Without this investment, much of this vital work will simply stop and the future of farm businesses will be under threat.
Nobody wants to see this happen. That’s why we’ve come together to urge the Chancellor to protect the budget for sustainable farming. For UK farming to thrive, we must not abandon our environment, our countryside and our homegrown food. This is what British consumers want and our environment needs.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium
Tom Bradshaw, President of the National Farmers’ Union
Beccy Speight, Chief Executive Officer at the RSPB
