Kate Howell says the value of sustainable producers and independent retailers needs to be recognised and supported
Your report from the Tory party conference cites Liz Truss’s view that the government is not responsible for food shortages in the shops (Boris Johnson: petrol crisis and pig cull part of necessary post-Brexit transition, 3 October). At the root of the predicament is the fact that this government feels no responsibility for our food supply.
In the absence of anything like a coherent national food policy, the task of feeding the nation has, for many decades, been outsourced to a handful of supermarkets. The result is a system driven by the profits of a small number of massive businesses. It’s a system based upon high volumes, low wages, hyper-processed foods and long, opaque supply chains. When it breaks down, there is no plan B.