The UK Fruit & Veg Coalition was launched this week at an event at the Houses of Parliament.
The coalition, made up of key organisations representing organic, agroecological growers across the UK, has been launched to create a future in which more fruit and vegetables are produced in the UK.
It is calling on the government to “seize a real opportunity to rebuild the UK’s fruit and vegetable sector across the four nations”.
The coalition has eight policy asks including increasing regional collaboration between growers to improve market access and increasing UK organic fruit and vegetable production to complement imports.
It is also calling for targeted capital grants to boost the productivity of horticultural SMEs, such as the adjustment of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund so that it works better for smaller scale growers.
Additionally, it has suggested the government provide targeted support in the form of a support fund to encourage the startup of organic, agroecological market gardens and enable mixed farms to diversify into horticultural production.
More support needed
“Organic, agroecological food growers are already paving a pathway to domestic resilience in the face of a combined health, nature and climate crisis, but they need greater support in the face of an extremely hostile economic environment weighted against smaller businesses,” the coalition said.
The coalition has also said that more needs to be done to train a new generation of growers and has called on the government to subsidise a training course and mentoring programme to build on the success of the New Entrant Support Scheme.
It has said that the government must deliver on its manifesto pledge to source 50% of public sector food from local or sustainable sources and needs to invest infrastructure to support the distribution of regionally produced fruit and vegetables.
Finally, it has urged the government to use its planning powers to prioritise space for sustainable and healthy food retail.
”Now is the time to unlock a thriving horticulture sector that not only delivers for communities, nature and climate across the UK but supports the UK economy,” it said.
The organisations involved in the coalition include: CSA Network, The Food Foundation, Organic Growers Alliance, Landworkers’ Alliance, Soil Association, Sustain, Lantra, Growing Communities, Organic North, Regather Sheffield, Better Food Shed, Food Sense Wales, Bridging the Gap, The Wildlife Trusts, Propagate, and Permaculture Association.
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