Pandemic helps public appreciate food

James Bailey, executive director of Waitrose, said the responsibility to keep the nation fed and the prospect of empty shelves had led some businesses to make ‘previously unthinkable decisions’ and allegedly source products farmed to lower standards from outside the UK.

But Mr Bailey said Waitrose had not allowed themselves to use it as an excuse to ‘forget our principles, and we never will’.

“In recent months, there has been considerable debate about UK farming standards,” he added.

Standards

“Some observers have claimed that British shoppers would welcome a choice between price and welfare, and that many would accept food imports farmed to lower food standards if benefiting from greater affordability.

“In opposition, I argued earlier this year that customers no longer view standards and value as an “either/ or” but see them as one part of the same package.

“Putting this to the test, we asked 2,000 people living in the UK what they thought of this and two-thirds said categorically that buying products with high assurance of food safety and welfare is more important than price.”

He said the appetite to support homegrown produce was high.

“We do not know what the future holds but the government has shown intent to do the right thing for our nation, which gives me immense confidence moving into 2021.

“Regardless, as I have promised before, our high standards and passion for innovation in the global farming sector will continue strongly into the future.”