No
The Sustainable food system needs to reduce biodiversity loss, strengthen nutrition security, improve Wales' socio-economic wellbeing and enhance citizen choice of healthy food.
Yes
Without legislation, BigAg, Big Food and Big pharmaceutical will have free reign to continue the production and sale of unhealthy food that makes citizens sick with a cocktail of medications being prescribed as the solution.
There is need for joined up, evidence based, cross sectoral policies supporting Welsh mixed agroecological systems, improving soil health and production of high quality, nutrient dense feed for animals and food for humans, and a food system that works for people and planet
Food goals are really important to set the lens through which joined up, evidence-based policy will developed
Yes. However, the primary food goal is just focusing on food security in a sustainable food system, and this is then considered through the five areas listed which relate to the Future of Welsh Generations Act
We need to shift to nutrition security, not food security and not food poverty
We need to talk about regenerative food systems
We need to look at access to and availability of culturally appropriate food
Food should be local, seasonal and high quality, based on nutrient density
Nutrient dense food has major cost saving potential - it has a greater yield, of more uniform growth, plants are totally resistance to pests and diseases, it tastes better and has a longer shelf-life.
Nutrient dense food is correlated with greater carbon sequestration, better soil structure, higher water holding capacity, no use of toxic chemicalso or synthetic fertilisers, no pollution of soils and water courses, and actually contains high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols. So, it's a win-win-win approach!
Targets are necessary to be able to monitor change; however, is there a WG budget for policing compliance with regulations to meet targets. The Bill needs to have teeth!
Two years seems a long time for regulations to be made
Will Welsh Ministers be employed to just focus on the Food Bill? Otherwise, Ministers will be juggling creating regulations with other tasks and things will slide
35 doesnt stipulate the frequency of reporting.
Review should be sooner than five years, such as two years would be preferable to identify areas that need to start or speed up
Are the targets process or outcome indicators?
Are target achievement dates going to be written in stone? Or they will slide!
Too many targets will make policy change very onerous to monitor
This is essential to have a body that values food and focuses on food regulations, policies, strategies and plans, developing food expertise professionals in Wales to advise different stakeholders
Functions need to emphasise agroecological farming systems and high quality, nutrient dense food as 'food matters' is very broad and can include unhealthy food produced through industrial agriculture
A chair and 5-7 members is a small number considering the number of functions to be achieved across Wales
A term of five years is very long; particularly if they are not supporting agroecology and food quality, effectively holding back the country's development
If the person is not supporting agroecology and food quality, they should not be re-appointed
Does the Food Commission have power to influence wide spread change so that everyone listens to recommendations and makes progressive changes?
Clause 55 opens the door to underfunding if Welsh Ministers not wanting change are calling the shots and don't like what the Food Commission is saying/doing
Definitely, this will give the framework for creating change on food systems in Wales
No, there seems very little understanding about the linkages between soil health, plant health, animal health, food quality, human nutrition and health, and planetary health
Health justice is not sufficiently prioritised nor environmental and social justice, and animal welfare
Linkages between soil microbiome and animal/human gut microbiomes needs prioritising
There also needs to be support for agroecological growers and farmers who are restoring soil health, and including livestock in their regenerative land management practices
Additionally, there needs to be support for agroforestry and not just indiscriminate tree planting
Farmers' mental health needs to be considered too
No, Welsh Ministers need to be listening to senior scientists and researchers, who know the evidence base related to agroecology, regenerative agriculture, permaculture. Systems need to be in place to stop business as usual (industrial agriculture)
No, It must be simple to attribute improvevents in food goals and achieving food targets to the national food strategy
Five years is a long time for a review and revising the strategy will then take time
The national food strategy must have teeth to ensure that business as usual (BigAg, Big Food and Big pharmaceutical ) does not prevail
When will the National Food Strategy be developed?
Yes. It is essential that every council/LA has a sustainable food partnership working with strategic partners and communities using peoples assemblies and forums to develop contextually relevant plans with optimal buy-in
No. If every council/LA has a Sustainable Food Place www.sustainablefoodplaces.org with a sustainable food partnership, then the whole planning process will be inclusive and participatory with key stakeholders involved
No. There needs to be cross-sectoral reporting giving positive and negative aspects; ideally through the Sustainable Food Partnership, which includes different public bodies
Again, 5 years seems a long time before a review is undertaken. This should be undertaken by the Sustainable Food Partnership and then any revisions/suggestions are developed by the Sustainable Food Partnership, which includes different public bodies
Research on Sustainable Food Places shows that there are significant social and economic impacts for the place. Therefore, Wales needs Sustainable Food Partnerships in every council/LA
Agroecology needs to be prioritised
The work of the Urban Agriculture Consortium needs to be shared and amplified
It would be useful to include Natural Resources Wales because of the linkages with soils, agroecology and nature
The Food Commission should be advising on the development of the regulations, which are evidence based by senior scientists and researchers
Can all the systems be put into place within three months? It seems too short a time period to implement well
To be transformative, the draft Bill needs to incorporate agroecology with food systems and support farmers and growers to transition as quickly as possible from industrial agriculture. The Landworkers Alliance Cymru is campaigning for agroecological production systems and food sovereignty which is particularly important for Wales because of its rich food culture. Urban Agriculture Consortium is influencing policy towards urban agroecology and urban/peri-urban farming
We need to shift the narrative from food quantity based on yield to food quality based on nutrient density. Research conducted by the Bionutrient Institute (USA) shows huge crop nutrient variation and crops grown using regenerative agricultural practices have the highest antioxidants and polyphenols. Food As Medicine can reverse/prevent diet-related noncommunicable diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes. Growing Real Food for Nutrition CIC www.grffn.org is conducting laboratory analysis on UK crop and soil samples to determine nutrition profiles, which will help calibrate a Bionutrient meter for real-time measurement of crop nutritional value and increase food chain transparency.
Swansea is on its journey to become a Sustainable Food Place and since March 2021 there has been more interest in food and more food-related events happening. It is essential that Swansea's Bwyd Abertawe initiative and other places wanting to become Sustainable Food Places are supported appropriately by government and key local stakeholders with adequate resources to make transformative change happen on the six key issues. Every council/LA should be a Sustainable Food Place and have a sustainable food partnership to help transform the local food system.