The National Farmers’ Union has launched an election manifesto in a bid to ensure British farming features high on the agenda at the next general election.

The document, Why Farming Matters In The Election, lays down seven pillars the NFU claims politicians must focus on in order to safeguard the future of British agriculture and horticulture. They include investment in the future, environment, science and technology, competitiveness, supply chains, animal health and common agricultural policy.

The NFU’s latest manifesto was very different from previous manifestos in setting out a more coherent vision, said Terry Jones, head of government affairs at the NFU.

“For the first time in a while, we’ve been very clear about what we’re asking for in a manifesto,” he said.

Jones said the manifesto laid out both short and long-term goals in addition – some readily and others more ambitious. He added that British farming had a more important role to play than simply feeding the domestic population.

“People talk about what global food can do for the UK. I’d like to turn it on its head and say ‘what can the UK do for global food supply?’” he said.

The manifesto can also be seen as a thinly veiled attack on Defra and its policies.

“Since the creation of Defra, farming has suffered from a perceptible lack of advocacy and representation within Government,” the document claims.  This was “demonstrated by an alarming turnover in farming ministers and the complete absence of food production from the current roster of Public Service Agreements”.