liz truss CREDIT Policy Exchange

Liz Truss

Defra secretary of state Liz Truss has outlined the government’s long-term strategy to help Britain’s food and farming industry.

Speaking at the NFU conference in Birmingham, Truss announced four key pillars to Defra’s approach.

Firstly, Defra wants to enable a productive and resilient industry by encouraging more skilled people into the industry through the increase of apprenticeships, improving skills across the supply chain, and offering further education opportunities in food. It is also establishing Food Enterprise Zones and slashing red tape, she added.

Secondly, Truss said she wants to open up new markets at home and abroad by encouraging more foods to apply for protected food name status, increasing public procurement of British food and opening up new export markets.

Thirdly, she stressed EU rules needed to work for Britain, with decisions on pesticides needing to be science-based and encouraging the EU to embrace scientific advances such as GM. She also said the Common Agricultural Policy needs to be simplified.

The fourth pillar surrounds the need to protect the country from plant and animal disease.

“Our long-term economic plan for food and farming will unlock the potential of this vital industry by encouraging more talented entrepreneurs to pursue a career in food, removing unnecessary bureaucracy, protecting the industry from plant and animal diseases, and opening new markets for top-quality British food both at home and overseas.”