Political opinion: We need to support our farmers and champion Chichester’s role in British food production, says Jess

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“We should be supporting all our food producers. They are a vital part of our economy, both locally and nationally,” said Jess, Chichester’s Parliamentary Candidate for the Liberal Democrats.

Jess met up with the National Farming Union and local farmers last week to discuss the issues they face and how Liberal Democrat policies would benefit them.

“Thank you to the NFU and to Phil Veltom for a morning on the farm talking about the challenges farmers face, particularly around subsidies, post-Brexit access to vaccinations and fertilizers, changing legislation, national food security, rural crime, the planning system and much more,” said Jess.

“Farmers are key allies in tackling climate change and the nature crisis, caring for and restoring the countryside while producing high-quality food for our tables. But their ability to do this is threatened as the new government payments set up to replace the old system are not reaching many farmers,” said Jess.

Meanwhile, farmers have had to contend with increases in bills for energy, fertilisers and feed leading to food shortages in the supermarkets and ever-increasing food bills for hard-pressed households.

The lack of planning surrounding Britain’s departure from the EU and single market is also contributing to food shortages and high food prices, and severely damaging farmers’ and fishers’ ability to export to their main markets in Europe, while new trade deals with non-EU countries undermine animal welfare and environmental protection, undercutting responsible British farmers and setting a dangerous precedent for future deals.

“The UK’s food system is failing farmers and consumers. Too many families are replacing healthy, nutritious food with cheaper ultra-processed foods, high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt. Poor nutrition is contributing to serious health problems, especially among poorer households and putting more strains on our failing NHS system,” according to Jess.

“Liberal Democrat policies announced this week in our manifesto will help British farmers to produce affordable, healthy and nutritious food, produced to high welfare and environmental standards,” said Jess.

Policies announced by the Liberal Democrats this week include:

• Introducing a holistic and comprehensive National Food Strategy to ensure food security, tackle rising food prices, end food poverty and improve health and nutrition.
• Accelerating the rollout of the new Environmental Land Management schemes, properly funding it with an extra £1 billion a year to support profitable, sustainable and nature-friendly farming.
• Maintaining high health, environmental and animal welfare standards in food production and guarantee that all future trade deals will meet them too, ensuring that Britain’s farmers and food manufacturers are not put at an unfair disadvantage.
• Giving Britain’s farmers the ability to trade with our European neighbours with minimal need for checks by negotiating comprehensive veterinary and plant health agreements.
• Supporting farmers properly in restoring woodland, peatland and waterways, creating new natural flood protections and managing land to encourage species recovery and carbon storage, while producing food for the table.