The Environment Secretary has today confirmed plans aimed at giving shoppers more information about how and where their food is produced, and ensuring British farmers’ products get better recognition.
First announced by Steve Barclay at the Oxford Farming Conference in January, it is claimed that the proposals for fairer food labelling and greater transparency will help consumers “make decisions that align with their values”.
A consultation on the plans was launched today and will run until 7 May. It will look at how to improve country of origin labelling for certain goods, including how and where this information is displayed and what products should be included. For example, if imported pork is cured into bacon in the UK and features a Union Jack, exploring ways to make it more obvious to consumers that the pig was reared abroad – such as increasing the size of the country-of-origin text or placing it on the front of the packet.
It also sets out proposals to require ‘method of production’ labelling on pork, chicken and eggs. These include a mandatory five-tier label for both domestic and imported products which would differentiate between those that fall below, meet and exceed baseline UK animal welfare regulations.
The move follows the recent government unveiling of measures designed to support farmers and promote fairness in the supply chain.
Barclay said today: “This government backs British farmers, who work hard to produce food to world-leading standards and maintain our nation’s food security. British consumers want to buy their produce, but too often products made to lower standards abroad aren’t clearly labelled to tell them apart.
“That is why I want to make labelling showing where and how food is produced fairer and easier to understand – empowering consumers to make informed choices and rewarding our British farmers for producing high-quality, high-welfare food.”
The initiative is being supported by Waitrose, with its Executive Director, James Bailey, commenting: “Everyone deserves to know where their food comes from – how it was grown, reared or made. Better information boosts demand for higher standards, as we’ve seen with mandatory egg labelling. Extending this to more products benefits shoppers, farmers, and animals.
“We support the government’s efforts to improve transparency and ensure shoppers aren’t misled, while giving farmers recognition for their commitment to animal welfare.”
Meanwhile, Fidelity Weston, Chair of the Consortium of Labelling for the Environment, Animal Welfare and Regenerative Farming (CLEAR), added: “We in the UK have some of the highest farming standards, producing quality food products. That needs to be recognised in the marketplace. To achieve this, we need a clear definition of the many terms used to describe the method of production, and transparency and honest data about how the food was produced on the farm, and right through to the end product.
“Through this, we have an opportunity to support the transition put in place by the Government to move the UK to more agroecological farming methods with improved outcomes for nature, the environment and people, alongside food production.”
The consultation is also seeking views on whether it should be a mandatory requirement to state the origin of meat, seafood and dairy products outside of the home, for example on menus in cafes and restaurants.
NAM Implications:
- If this initiative is really about helping the shopper to know what they are getting for their money…
- …surely improving like-with-like comparisons with available alternatives should be part of the package?
- i.e. standardised unit pricing for a start…
