Call to Buy British

UK - British consumers, businesses and public sector organisations should buy more British food products.
calendar icon 8 January 2014
clock icon 1 minute read

At present nearly a quarter of the food eaten in the UK is imported and Environment Secretary Own Paterson speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference said that more of these imported products could have been produced in the UK.

“This is a huge opportunity and it’s up to us – farmers food manufacturers and government, to take action,” Mr Paterson said.

“By buying seasonal fruit and veg we can improve the nation’s health, help the environment and boost the economy.”

The UK government is not launching a drive for the public procurement of food, worth £2.1 billion, to be British based.

“The public sector should be taking advantage of our top quality products, supporting our world class farmers,” he said.

During the conference Mr Paterson announced changes in the livestock movement rules and cuts to red tape for farmers that he said would safe the farming community and taxpayers £70 million over 10 years.

“Our farming industry is a cornerstone of our economy but for too long farmers have had to operate within complex rules and requirements.

“This change to the system for reporting animal movements will save farmers and taxpayers millions of pounds, while increasing our resilience to animal diseases.”

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