Joint letter to new government – support UK horticulture
Date Published: 9th July 2024
Restoring the resilience of UK fruit and vegetable production.
Along with the Landworkers’ Alliance, Soil Association, Sustain, OF&G Organic, Growing Communities, Regather, The Wildlife Trusts, Propagate and the Better Food Traders we have sent a letter to Steve Reed, the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
We are asking the new government to go further than the previous government’s Blueprint to grow the UK fruit and vegetable sector and deliver a bold cross-departmental horticulture strategy, to ensure a resilient fruit and veg supply.
A thriving UK horticulture sector would address some of the biggest challenges facing society today, including poor public health, supply chain resilience, climate change and biodiversity loss. Yet as it stands, the sector is struggling. As highlighted by Riverford’s #GetFairAboutFarming campaign, almost half of growers fear they could go out of business within 12 months. As organisations representing farmers and growers, we urge the new UK government to work with us, and to support this country’s food producers so that together we can unleash the full potential of UK horticulture.
See the full briefing here