The future of British Food

[fairydarmer]

Hoping not to open a heated, political discussion on this subject… just want your thoughts.

What’s your prediction for the future of British Food? Will people buy more local/farm food? Will people not have a choice? Will imported food be the same price as British food due to increased transport costs etc?

Should our own produce be marketed more? I don’t think consumers actually look for RT assured. They would prefer to buy from a farm that sells ‘grass-fed’ beef, with no RT label on it.
Will the farmer to end consumer relationship flourish?
Will independents thrive or dive?
I take my hat off to all those farms selling direct to the public, as I don’t think I’d have the patience.. but, is this the future?

 

[ss fr]

Ultimately the public want cheap food and with the cost of living crisis I think that desire is only going to increase.

As for RT I've never seen anyone look for it, more often (at least when it comes to meat) they look for a union flag on the label.

 

[delilah]

Direct sales is just Middle England pleasuring itself. A future based on the current trajectory - 5% of the population buying local/organic/ unicorn friendly, 95% buying whatever the cartel chooses to sell them - isn't remotely sustainable for farmers or the environment.
If the industry has any sense it will stop beating itself up about whether or not it should be ploughing. or housing its cattle, and all the other battles it picks with itself, and instead work with those who wish to transform the food chain the other side of the farm gate. Market share is the root of all evil.

 

[fairydarmer]

Direct sales is just Middle England pleasuring itself. A future based on the current trajectory - 5% of the population buying local/organic/ unicorn friendly, 95% buying whatever the cartel chooses to sell them - isn't remotely sustainable for farmers or the environment.
If the industry has any sense it will stop beating itself up about whether or not it should be ploughing. or housing its cattle, and all the other battles it picks with itself, and instead work with those who wish to transform the food chain the other side of the farm gate. Market share is the root of all evil.

Who are ‘those’ though?

 

[delilah]

Who are ‘those’ though?

You may not like this.....it's the lentil knitters.

https://www.sustainweb.org/news/dec21-parliamentary-supplychains-workshop/

https://landworkersalliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Vocal-for-Local.pdf

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news...ly-shop---cut-plastic-footprint-dramatically/

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1699931.Shopped

 

[Spudmaster]

If the Government dont get their head around history repeating itself, and put food security at least on an equal footing with sustainability then we will be in a right pickle… intensification is required in short to medium term.
In the longer-term, I see no reason that with the right mindset, a focus on efficiency and the appropriate use of technology, that sustainability and optimised output cannot ultimately compliment each other.

 

[wanton dwarf]

In the longer-term, I see no reason that with the right mindset, a focus on efficiency and the appropriate use of technology, that sustainability and optimised output cannot ultimately compliment each other.

Unfortunately I do not see any recognition or understanding from HMG or the Civil Service or even farming bodies and organisations what the words "Sustainability" and "Recycling" mean.

The first step is to stop dumping human poo and wee into the sea - recycle it.

Or at a minimum - harvest seaweed and river plants on a commercial scale from the sea and river deltas. (As fertiliser).

 

[som farmer]

rather different than a few weeks ago !
I'm referring to the normal family, not the better off.
Rising food costs, and rocketing energy prices, along with everything else that goes up, is bound to have a big effect on housewives budget, so l think organic, and 'niche' foods will suffer, the 'dedicated' vegies vegans and organic buyers will still continue, the 'faddy' ones will drop out. Niche foods, will become more like 'treats'. Home cooking will have a revival, eating out will be more of a special occasion.

Staple foods will become more important, as budgets shrink. Not over concerned about imports from Aus and NZ, transport costs are x3 higher, probably well up on that now, there are closer emerging markets closer to them. In any case, there's b-all we can do about, so save moaning for something we could influence.

Our food supply routes, were incredibly organised, ultra efficient, but based on a 'just in time' basis, even here computers communicated with depots, and were resupplied, with what they sold, on that day, amazing.

Well covid well and truly fudged that system, but created another serious one, all businesses have to hold more stock/items etc, those have to be paid for, alas, by the consumer, again.
But that system was so important, l think supply/demand was finely balanced, transport costs, more storage etc, has tipped the balance to more demand than supply, globally. We see that with the current prices we are currently getting, they are driven by shortages and demand.
So food not so plentiful, rising transport costs, a very dangerous and unpredictable world at the present, things look quite good for farming. The problem with that is simple, virtually none of our politicians have ever seen food shortages, worse, they have lived through an age of surplus, anything you fancy available, and cheap. How long will it take for the penny to drop? Their minds are concentrated on climate change, who is better than someone else, drinks parties, not really believing war in Europe etc.

Pretty obviously energy from coal, gas and nuclear is going to return, if even 'temporary'. Realisation over food security, and withdrawal of the present green schemes, will happen, the electorate will not stand for ever increasing costs. Plus, taxation will steeply rise, to pay for covid, and presumably re-arming, not a lot of doubt there. Very interesting and changeable times ahead, not sure l would like to be a politician.

 

[spin cycle]

who cares?.....as long as you can pay the bills....stuff em

 

[Muddyroads]

Anybody heard from Greta lately?

 

[Hilly]

Anybody heard from Greta lately?

Shes busy calculating the carbon foot print of a Russian invasion , and a nuclear bomb .

 

[som farmer]

Anybody heard from Greta lately?

she can't afford the fuel to travel here.
climate change is going to go on the backburner, if its a case of expensive food/energy today, or something that might happen in 50/100 years time, what do you think any guv will do ?
'a hungry man has one problem, a full one, has many'.

 

[Muddyroads]

she can't afford the fuel to travel here.
climate change is going to go on the backburner, if its a case of expensive food/energy today, or something that might happen in 50/100 years time, what do you think any guv will do ?
'a hungry man has one problem, a full one, has many'.

I hope you’re right. Can’t help thinking that with our politicians even a war in France wouldn’t make them see sense.

 

[delilah]

climate change is going to go on the backburner, if its a case of expensive food/energy today, or something that might happen in 50/100 years time, what do you think any guv will do ?

This place has been full of threads in the last week saying we need to increase self sufficiency. Increasing self sufficiency - ie reducing food miles - is one of the best ways of reducing our impact on the environment. It's two sides of the same coin. I appreciate that farmers feel it part of their job remit to slag off the environmental movement at every opportunity, but maybe once in a while it wouldn't hurt to recognise that you are on the same side ?

 

[Steevo]

This place has been full of threads in the last week saying we need to increase self sufficiency. Increasing self sufficiency - ie reducing food miles - is one of the best ways of reducing our impact on the environment. It's two sides of the same coin. I appreciate that farmers feel it part of their job remit to slag off the environmental movement at every opportunity, but maybe once in a while it wouldn't hurt to recognise that you are on the same side ?

Yes, it would help if the environmental movement realised that rather than continually attacking us.

Farmers “slagging off the environmental movement” as you put it is more often a response against that movement’s continual attacks on farming.

 

[roscoe erf]

Ultimately the public want cheap food and with the cost of living crisis I think that desire is only going to increase.

As for RT I've never seen anyone look for it, more often (at least when it comes to meat) they look for a union flag on the label.

and here in lies the problem that some of us are only to happy to perpetuate, it isn't and shouldn't be cheap

 

[kiwi pom]

Imports are getting expensive at the moment due to increased transport costs but then home produced COP will be rising too, even producing flat out I doubt the UK could be self sufficient?
I don't know what the answer is. Local mixed in with imports from friendly countries, I suppose, the same as most countries.
I was talking about food security with someone today and they were saying during WW2 NZ introduced rationing not because it was short but so it could produce huge surpluses of food that could be sent to the UK.
Apparently during the 1943/4 farming season things got really bad because bad weather wiped out a lot of lambs and fertiliser was very hard to come by so crops were rubbish.
If it all kicks off again I guess the same would happen?

 

[delilah]

Yes, it would help if the environmental movement realised that rather than continually attacking us.

Farmers “slagging off the environmental movement” as you put it is more often a response against that movement’s continual attacks on farming.

"But Miss, please Miss, they started it Miss" .

edit: We have just set our farmers market stall up. You know how many members of environmental organisations will be shopping there ? Loads. Farmers ? Feck all. Who is making the greater effort to join the dots, farmers or environmentalists ?

 

[som farmer]

This place has been full of threads in the last week saying we need to increase self sufficiency. Increasing self sufficiency - ie reducing food miles - is one of the best ways of reducing our impact on the environment. It's two sides of the same coin. I appreciate that farmers feel it part of their job remit to slag off the environmental movement at every opportunity, but maybe once in a while it wouldn't hurt to recognise that you are on the same side ?

perhaps when 'the other side' realise that we both sing off the same hymn book, they may realise, that by working with us, so much more could so easily be achieved.
But, my point was quite simple, if the guv is faced with unaffordable food and energy, for the majority of the electorate, they will choose todays problem to solve, rather than something that may, or may not, happen in the future. If they didn't, they would lose the next election.

 

[DaveGrohl]

I’m past caring frankly. The politicians, led by the media, seem intent on taking us down a road that goes against nature and science. The further down this road we go the greater the problems will be. Not much sign of the brakes being applied yet even though the road’s starting to get bumpy.

I’ll just do what’s best for my business and family. Whether that means producing food or doing something else is entirely fluid. If they don’t want food that’s up to them.