(Title Image: Wales Online)
- Plaid Cymru calls for a single, joined-up strategy for food.
- Concerns over vulnerabilities exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the logistical impact of Brexit on food supplies.
- Welsh Government backs a unified vision based around the principles of the Future Generations Act.
The Motion
The Senedd:
- Notes the importance of the food sector to a broad range of policy agendas in Wales, including the environment, health, economy and poverty.
- Regrets the lack of alignment to provide a national food policy over the past decade.
- Recognises that the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of our current food system and praises the role that Welsh farmers and producers play in keeping our shelves stocked.
- Understands that the climate, nature and biodiversity crises increases the likelihood of extreme weather events which will impact the global food system.
- Notes that 14% of UK families with children have experienced food insecurity between March and August 2020, and that the Trussell Trust gave out 70,393 emergency food parcels in Wales between April and September 2020.
- Calls on the Welsh Government to: move towards a coherent food policy by bringing together a cross-sector food system commission; ensure food systems are more resilient to external factors in such as the climate crisis; develop local processing capacity across Wales; increase public procurement of Welsh food and drink.
Llyr Gruffydd MS (Plaid, North Wales) called for the entire food system to be considered as a single unit which better links production, processing, retail and consumption, whilst providing a dignified income for farmers and improving access to locally-sourced food.
At the moment, Wales’ food policy is spread across several different strategies; all good in their own right, but at no point do they come together with a set end goal.
Shadow Environment Minister, Janet Finch-Saunders MS (Con, Aberconwy) cited a WWF report that 2% of Wales’ land area would need to be dedicated to horticulture to produce enough fruit and vegetables for the population to meet the recommended “five-a-day”. This was an opportunity to champion local food production.
Helen Mary Jones MS (Plaid, Mid & West Wales) praised the innovation by some farmers, such as milk vending machines. Delyth Jewell MS (Plaid, South Wales East) noted increased anxiety amongst up to 20% of people in Wales about food shortages and an increased reliance on food banks – which supports the party’s policy of a £35-a-week payment for families with children eligible for free school meals.
Jenny Rathbone MS (Lab, Cardiff Central) warned about the logistics impact of Brexit, while Huw Irranca-Davies MS (Lab, Ogmore)brought attention to some of the uncertainties arising as a result of the Internal Market Bill which may hamper the Welsh Government’s ability to create a unified food strategy.
In response, Environment, Energy & Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths (Lab, Wrexham), noted the innovation that’s taken place and increased Welsh Government support for community horticulture. Food insecurity was largely the result of political choices made by the UK Government, while the Welsh Government has provided £32million in support for the food and drink sector since March this year.
Vote
Rhianon Passmore MS (Lab, Islwyn) abstained on the Plaid motion. The Welsh Government’s amendments, which replaced everything with broadly similar but less specific wording, was approved by 39-11.
