BY ROSIE BAKER

What will happen to our food supply if Brexit goes ahead? “We should prepare for a bumpy ride” says Food policy expert, Lindy Sharpe.

Whether you are for or against Brexit, it is important to think about its impact on the food system. We attended a York for Europe event on 21st November, focusing on how women would be affected by Brexit, and guess what? – access to food is one of the main areas that will affect women and children more than men. Expert on food policy, Rosalind Sharpe from City University, warned that

“Food insecurity could be one of the first and most tangible effects after Brexit and we should prepare for a bumpy ride”.

She went on to explain why:

1. Food is a big economy in the UK!

• Employs 13% of our workforce
• 75% of our land used for food
• 70% of our trade is in food
• Road trucks are 1/5 food

2. Paperwork nightmare!

= 850 bits of food legislation to deal with.

= the bureaucracy of Brexit is costing (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) billions which is come consider very wasteful.

3. Food is our “ultimate commodity”

• It brings both pleasure & anxiety
• Women are overwhelmingly responsible for food in the household, often the “food champions”
• Women are often low-paid workers in the food industry, not earning a real living wage.
• Overall, more women are poor and one quarter of women have children to provide for.

After Brexit?

☹ Food poverty will grow and more women will feel the brunt by skipping meals.

☹ Risks towards environmental and food standards from new, non-EU trade deals: there is a report in today’s Guardian in which a US official is suggesting the need for the UK to align with US standards.

☹ The door would be left open to cheap food imports which could undercut UK farmers and drive standards here down and/or put farmers out of business.

☹ Civil unrest is a strong likelihood in times of food shortages.

What are the key policy recommendations then?

Dr Sharpe summarises here the big issues at the moment:

• To get the Agriculture Bill to make more reference to food and human health (Sustain).
• Persuading Government to recognise that vegetable production is important and deserves support (Food Foundation)
• Making the case that agricultural reform could be used as an opportunity to allow new, small-scale entrants into farming (Land Workers Alliance)
• Making the public aware of the risk to environmental and food standards from trade deals (Food Research Collaboration)

As part of Sustainable Food Cities, York Food Poverty Alliance is in touch with Sustain, who are coordinating Brexit-related food information for civil society groups, so do get in touch for updates on this crucial policy area, email: yorkfoodpovertyalliance@gmail.com

“In all of the above, public awareness and engagement will be critical” (Dr Sharpe.)

 

Other Information links:

• Click to read our Blog containing all the updates from End Hunger UK campaign.
• The Food Insecurity Bill being debated in parliament on 23rd November 2018.
• Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN)’s work on mapping independent food banks across the country.
• End Hunger UK’s work on the measurement of food poverty. They have also collaboratively-produced a document called ‘Menu-to-end-hunger-uk’ which sets out  ‘extremely practical’ recommendations as described here:

“Many of them could be implemented at relatively little cost, but would make a real and immediate difference – for example, funding local schemes so that children do not go hungry during the school holidays. Other recommendations will require more concerted and longer-term action to ensure that people are paid a decent wage and that there is an adequate safety net to support people during difficult times in their life, such as an illness or the breakdown of a relationship. If we are to eradicate food insecurity, then we must commit to these shared goals – and we need to start measuring the scale of the problem, so we can see the progress that is being made.”  Rev Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester.