Geographers from Coventry and Exeter Universities have been awarded over £170,000 by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to investigate the links between food production and food consumption.
In recent years there has been growing public concern about the health and safety of food products, highlighted by recent outbreaks of BSE, Salmonella and Foot and Mouth Disease. Long term health concerns are also being raised because of low levels of fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, especially among younger and low income consumers who live in urban 'food deserts'. In addition, consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and animal welfare impacts of food production, including the growing number of 'food miles' being travelled from farm to fork.
For a long time now, food supply systems have been dominated by powerful retailers, and farmers in certain regions are facing falling incomes and uncertain futures in the face of competition from large-scale agribusiness and cheaper overseas production. The research teams at Coventry and Exeter Universities will use the funding from the ESRC to investigate ways of 'relocalising' food systems, shortening 'food miles', improving the supply of regional products to local people and thus improving the outlook for smaller farm businesses and food producers in rural areas.
The Bush administration is considering bringing proceedings against the EU for blocking imports of GM food. The EU has maintained a ban for the last four years on approving any US biotech foods, which it says is based on the "precautionary principle" but which the US says has no scientific basis.
Farmers involved in a Government strategy to encourage organic farming have been accused of trying to rewrite their own proposals.
NFU vice president Michael Paske accused some members of the group overseeing the implementation of the Organic Action Plan of delaying the introduction of several key aspects.
He said: "At a time when the industry should be moving to implement the Action Plan, it is remarkable that some people now want to rewrite parts of the strategy. I can't believe any stakeholder would try to change the Organic Action Plan when they were closely consulted during its production. They had as much chance as others to influence the plan in its drafting - now they must work with it."
The Action Plan proposes to replace the existing UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) with a new advisory committee aiming to use the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS), to accredit bodies to certify organic production.
In related news, Britain's food standards watchdog has clashed with environment minister Michael Meacher after he was asked by the minister to be more positive about the benefits of organic food.
Professor Sir John Krebs, chairman of the food standards agency, has warned ministers not to challenge his independence adding that it would be "inappropriate" to "support any particular food promotion scheme".
Organic campaigners are now questioning Sir John's credibility and suggesting a "more neutral body" should conduct research into the health, quality and environmental differences between organics and conventionally produced food.
...and in Scotland, the environment minister, Ross Finnie, has been forced to do a U-turn in favour of organic farming by First Minister Jack McConnell, the Sunday Herald reveals.
In September Finnie rejected the idea of an action plan to boost the production of organic food in Scotland. But now he is planning to draw up and publish one before the end of January.
People are eating more fruit and veg on average than they were fifteen years ago, according to the findings of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS).
The NDNS is the first comprehensive survey of adult eating patterns since 1987, when the survey was last carried out. But these increases in consumption are not across the board. Women aged 50 to 64 showed a significant increase, their consumption rising from 3 portions per day in 1987 to 3.7 portions per day. But the NDNS also found that younger people, aged 19 to 24, are eating no more fruit and veg, or oily fish, than they were fifteen years ago.
Commissioned by the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health, the NDNS shows that although fruit and veg consumption has increased, the average is still less than 3 portions per day. Men are eating 2.7 and women 2.9 portions on average per day. This falls short of the Agency's recommendation of at least 5 portions each day as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Farmers, green groups, aid agencies and consumer organisations have backed government calls for radical reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
More than 200 responses to Defra consultation on changes to the CAP proposed by the European Commission found a broad level of support from a range of bodies. The UK government believes that the Commission's proposals are on the right lines but do not go far enough, a view shared by most who responded.
The 235 responses included views from the NFU, Tenant Farmers' Association, Oxfam, Countryside Alliance, Food and Drink Federation, and the Consumers' Association on issues such as market reform, breaking the link between subsidies and production ('decoupling'), and shifting more cash support to agri-environment and rural development.
Indian producers of organic goods are planning an invasion of UK markets. Demand for organic produce is set to rise, according to the UK Soil Association, and Indian producers will be better placed in future to fill the gap with a new national food processing policy, according to government officials in Delhi.
Horticulture commissioner Dr HP Singh states that "we have a sound organic supply base, and if the EU will give us a level playing field ... we could become a major all-round supplier to Britain"
