An insult to the UK food trade

The food industry, to be clear, feeds the nation – from pig farmers to spice importers and cafe owners to shortbread manufacturers – but it is equally important to note that it is largely founded, owned and operated by entrepreneurs. While so, the UK food industry – the nation’s largest industrial system – is not a charity, does not live on hand outs, and must trade to survive. 

Neglecting Nutrition

Successive British governments have shown scant regard for the health and wellbeing of both the domestic food system and, remarkably, its subjects, evidenced by its total absence from government thinking around economic and industrial policy. US investment bankers appear to be of far greater interest and importance, as does a prevailing obesity crisis, respectively. 

DEFRA, which has food within its acronym but that seems about as far as it goes, is a largely dysfunctional department owing to the submediocre Ministers of State that resided over it in recent years. Its officials tend to be more at home holding committee meetings, producing minutes, shuffling emails between incoherent and siloed agencies and thus having virtually no beneficial impact on the ground. If that description sounds harsh, one should try as a farming and food business in this country to engage with DEFRA et al and see how you get on; my direct language will appear kind and understated.

A missed opportunity: Signals of disinterest in UK food trade ahead of the 2024 election

Within this highly unsatisfactory context, it seemed reasonable to hope that the broom sweeping out the feckless predecessors may yield something better at the 2024 Election. To be fair to the new regime, it is still early days, but some of the early smoke signals are worrying. Adam Leyland, the respected Editor of The Grocer, an authoritative chronicler of the UK food scene, wrote a suitably pointed opinion recently relaying his dismay that not a single Labour politician or DEFRA official attended the major SIAL food trade show in Paris. 

While criticising Ministers for not going on a Paris jamboree may seem perverse, Mr Leyland was spot on: a total and utter lack of support, interest and energy in the export, trading activities of the UK is little short of a disgrace. As a signal of disinterest, it speaks volumes. But the situation is far worse when the relative context is considered.

The UK’s underwhelming approach to food exports compared to global leaders

The UK food system’s export activities, bearing in mind some impressive capabilities across product categories (it is not just a case of Scotch and Ulster whisky/whiskey), have considerable potential to trade far more than at present – a statement that’s been relevant since WWII, it could be argued. However, compare the thinking, organisational resourcing and activities that countries like Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand, among others, commit to export markets and one sees a case of chalk and cheese. 

Indeed, when one views the likes of Ireland’s Bord Bia at work, again amongst others, and compares it to the total and utter absence of activity by the British state in the arena of international food trade, then chalk and cheese understates the capability gap. The UK is so far behind, it is like comparing Manchester City to Dover City, in football terms.

Government neglect of the food system endures

DEFRA and the wider business and trade ministers and officials should hold their heads in shame on the SIAL matter, among other things. However, that is merely a symptom of a much deeper malaise when it comes to UK Government interest in its largest industrial system. Maybe the new Government, with the distraction of a kack-handed 2024 Budget process out of the way, will eventually get its head around the potential and importance of the UK food system and incorporate international trade, which keeps sectors competitive in time, into the action plans.

Ahead of that, it is hard not to think that the new Government is a different colour rosette with the productivity-imploding public sector cheering from the stands, but on the ground in the real world of the British food system – which to repeat, feeds the nation – is the same old story as the totally and utterly discredited Tories, and the civil service and agencies ‘working’ for them too. Worryingly, across the regions and nations of the UK, this is a deepening perspective.