Write to party leaders about food and farming ahead of the General Election

It's time politicians and party leaders got serious about food and farming.

For too long farmers and food producers have been undervalued by government and exploited by supermarkets, food has been treated as a cheap commodity instead of a basic human right, and nature has been degraded for the sake of high yields and even higher profits. Now, for the sake of our planet, our health and our communities we need to transition to a greener, fairer and more resilient food system.

Use this letter-writing action to urge party leaders and key politicians to commit to policies in their General Election campaign that will defend British farmers and growers, enable a just transition to more sustainable farming practices, and support a new generation of farmers and food producers onto the land.

Please be sure to read the letter and make sure it is relevant to your identity, work and values before clicking send. It is always more effective to personalise the letter if you have time, though we do ask that you please keep the three bulletpoint LWA policy asks as they are.

NB: Because farming and environmental policy are devolved issues in the UK, the next government that gets elected in the upcoming General Election will only be responsible for farming and environmental policy in England. For more information on farming policy, devolution and the 2024 General Election please refer to our LWA Guide to the General Election.

Leader of the Labour Party

Leader of the Conservative Party

Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Co-leaders of the Green Party

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

First name *

Last name *

Your email *

Town

Postcode *

Subject

I am writing to you today as a farmer/ food prodcuer, and as someone looking to cast my vote in the upcoming General Election based on your political commitment to support a just transition to better food and farming in the UK. 
For too long the farmers who work tirelessly to produce the food we all depend on have been consistently undervalued by governments and exploited by supermarkets. In recent months this has caused widespread discontent and unrest among farmers here in the UK, as well as across Europe and the rest of the world. 
While many farmers have pointed to the introduction of new environmental schemes as posing a threat to their farms and businesses, it is the implementation of these policies without regard for farming livelihoods which is the root of the problem. The need for a green transition in UK farming is now beyond dispute, but to drive this transition forward conventional farmers must be reassured through the provision of adequate financial support and proper training and advice.
Over the 2019 - 2024 government term we have also seen significant disruptions to our food supply here in the UK. We currently import 43% of our vegetables and 77% of our fruit, and this overreliance on imported produce has proved time and time again - as a result of Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the impacts of global warming - that there is an urgent need to invest in home-grown produce and expand the sustainable horticulture sector in the UK.
Meanwhile the farming sector in the UK is an ageing one, but a new generation of first-time-farmers who are passionate about pioneering innovative agroecological farming practices are constantly faced with barriers that prevent them from accessing the land, finances and the relevant training and education needed to enter the sector. There is an urgent need for ambitious cross-departmental policies to educate, train and support a new generation into sustainable farming and food production.  
We need you, as a political leader, to take food and farming seriously. The solutions are out there, we just need the political will to drive them forward. 
I therefore urge you to commit to the following in your General Election campaign:
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A bigger agriculture budget which is able to provide the financial support and reassurance urgently needed to help farmers transition to more sustainable farming practices
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A Horticulture Strategy for England to increase domestic fruit and vegetable production for public health, climate resilience and UK food security
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An ambitious New Entrant Support Scheme to inspire, train and support a new generation of farmers and landworkers onto the land
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It’s time to set ambitions high for our food and farming system, and I sincerely hope that the next government is up to the challenge. Time is running out to secure the trust of Britain’s farmers, and to secure the future of our food system. 
For more information and detailed policy recommendations, please read the LWA’s <a href="https://landworkersalliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/LWA-Manifesto-2023-Digital-.pdf">Manifesto for Food, Farming and Forestry.</a>
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