The inquiry will also consider the government’s food strategy, launched in a policy paper in June 2022, and the UK’s level of food self-sufficiency. The Committee is also asking how the pressures on supply and food inflation are affecting consumers’ access to healthy and nutritious food as well as their impact on businesses.
The Institute of Grocery Distribution, a trade body, predicts that food inflation will hit 15% in the coming months and the Bank of England says the supply disruption factors could last into 2023.
Sir Robert Goodwill, chair of the EFRA Committee, said: “There are few things more important than the food we eat – where it comes from, its quality and its price. Our food producers are facing extremely challenging times – with rising energy and fertiliser prices as well as the war in Ukraine. These pressures are now also being felt by consumers.
“The government is not responsible for all the problems facing food supply chains but it is essential it does all it can to help manage these pressures as it implements its new food strategy. About three quarters of the types of food we can produce in this country are supplied by our own farmers, producers and growers. We want to start a debate about whether that’s the right level and what that means for how we use our land and the priority we put on food production.”
Everyone is welcome to contribute evidence to the inquiry and can submit their views in writing here. The closing date for submission of written evidence is Friday 30 September 2022.