The ‘Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food’ (SSFF) sets out how industry, the Government and consumers can work together to secure a sustainable future for our farming and food industries, making them viable yet contributing to a better environment.
The strategy will only be effective if it has a real impact at the local level. Outside London, each of the eight English regions, led by Government Offices, has developed an individual delivery plan for SSFF to ensure that the strategy is delivered effectively and makes a real difference at a regional and local level.
Each region has a plan of action to make this happen and, although some priorities will differ between regions, there are four priorities for action common to all:
- Knowledge – better access to information, training and skills so the industry can adapt to take advantage of the opportunities that industry reform is offering.
- Food – action to fix the broken and weak links in the food chain stretching from ‘field to fork’, and to improve understanding between producers and their customers.
- Environment – help for the industry and those it feeds to get a better return from and for the environment.
- Health – improvements in public health through the food we eat and access to the countryside; and to improve animal health and welfare.
Government Offices and Regional Development Agencies are the co-drivers of this action alongside the industry, but there is a joint responsibility to communicate widely to all those with a stake in a sustainable farming and food industry.
