Sainsbury’s boss Simon Roberts has warned that “well-intentioned but inconsistent” government sustainability policy could damage the UK’s farming sector.
Writing in The Times, Roberts claimed that policy intended to help drive sustainable farming practices amid “environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss” could instead harm Britain’s food production.
He said: “Concerns about the direction of policy combined with the system of farm payments post-Brexit have discouraged producers from investing, and there is real concern in farming communities about the unintended consequences for the future of UK food production.
“We all recognise the need to make our food system more sustainable, but the current approach risks inadvertently reducing the level of UK production. This will affect capacity here and lead to more imported food — which of course is less sustainable.”
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Roberts said that the industry needed “a policy framework which supports producers to sustain sufficient output in the UK, while encouraging biodiversity, reducing carbon and delivering regenerative farming to secure our food supply”.
While government policy is vital, the Sainsbury’s CEO said change was required elsewhere, including in UK supermarkets, which “have the scale to make a difference”.
“Historically the relationship between supermarkets and their suppliers has too often been too short-term and not built sufficiently on long-term partnership,” Roberts said, adding that “this approach won’t work anymore”.
He said that Sainsbury’s is moving towards more longer-term agreements in key supply chains, giving farmers and suppliers “the confidence to invest for the long term and improve their sustainability”.
Sainsbury’s remains committed to helping shoppers make “healthier and more sustainable choices and choose more British food”, added.
Last month, the grocer launched a dedicated ‘Best of British’ page on its website to champion British grown and produced products, making it the largest supermarket to offer the section online.
