Food production system 'crying out' for more diverse cropping

Mr Young reinforced the ‘key’ to this transition was incentivising short, local supply chains, which ensured new producers were able to produce different types of crops in a mixed farming system.

“Crucially, this deviates from the broad agri-cropping system we have now and is, therefore, vital to ensuring a more resilient food system,” he added.

Decentralisation

Prof Tim Lang, who specialises in food policy at City, University of London, echoed this and claimed Britain had the potential to grow a higher percentage of ‘real food’, adding: “Not commodities, which can then be turned into ultra processed foods, which contribute to the health burden.”

Reinforcing the need to shorten supply chains, Prof Lang claimed any deviation would be ‘impossible’ without the decentralisation of power.

He said: “We need to see the reactivation of a regional push to build a proper food system at a regional level.

“That is why we need a Food Resilience and Security Act, which decentralises this debate and places food at the centre of policy.”