Archived press release

FOE Welcomes Farming Commission, slams inquiry into foot and mouth.

9 August 2001

Friends of the Earth today gave a guarded welcome to the announcement of the Policy Commission on Farming and Food, but slammed the inquiry announced into the foot and mouth outbreak as“totally inadequate”.

Friends of the Earth is deeply worried about the terms of reference for the Policy Commission, which in effect may prevent the it from making the radical policy changes needed to produce environmentally and socially sustainable food and farming policies.

Commenting on the Food and Farming Commission, Sandra Bell, Food and Farming Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

"We welcome the announcement of the new Commission on Farming and Food but we are deeply concerned that the Government still insists the Commission has to present policies that fit with increased trade liberalisation. Mr Blair has to recognise that sustainable farming and trade liberalisation are not compatible. Increased trade liberalisation will mean the further collapse of small farming in this country, with the environmental and social impacts that this will bring. It also runs the risk of the greater spread of animal diseases around the world .”

She added:

“The Commission has a huge job ahead of it, with confidence in the safety of our food being at an all time low, and farmers reeling from crisis after crisis. It is clear that an overhaul of farming and the food system is essential. The path of intensive farming which this country has followed over the last few decades has failed farmers, the environment and consumers. We hope that the Commission will present some radical options for a more sustainable future for our countryside and access to safe and healthy food for all.”

Friends of the Earth has made a number of recommendations for issues that the Inquiry should address (see below)

Commenting on the inquiry into foot and mouth, Friends of the Earth said this fell well short of the public inquiry desperately needed (more follows).

Mike Childs, Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth, said:

“The foot and mouth outbreak has cost the country billions of pounds, as well as causing severe anguish for farmers and farming communities. We desperately need a public inquiry which invites contributions from those affected by the crisis, an inquiry that has the powers to force Ministers to give evidence and ensure the release of official documents. The public has a clear right to know why the Government failed to listen to official warnings on the likely risk of a foot and mouth outbreak, why they contravened their own advisors advice and built huge pyres around the country, and crucially what advice the Government received and rejected. This limited inquiry announced today by the Government already smacks of a cover-up and risks doing further damage to the public's trust in government.”

Measures which FOE believes the food and farming commission should address include:

• A moratorium on GM crop planting - there should be a fundamental assessment of whether GM technology fits with the aim for more sustainable farming
• Measures to significant increase organic farming in the UK to support our farmers and help cut down on imports of organic food
• A review of how to protect family farmers from unfair trading practices that favour massive food companies and food retailers - including further investigation into the power of the biggest supermarkets.
• A strategy for reducing the use of pesticides and other chemical inputs
• An investigation of how local markets for UK produced food can be developed
• How support payments can be diverted from production and into more sustainable ways of farming including organic.
• How to ensure that safe high quality food is available to all sectors of society.
  
  

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust