On Wednesday 8 January MP for St Ives, Derek Thomas, headed a 90-minute parliamentary discussion on food security, inspired by work carried out by the NFU.

Mr Thomas, whose home constituency is largely rural, has been working with the NFU’s South West office and prepared his debate using information provided to him in two NFU reports.

He said, “Living in a rural area such as west Cornwall brings home the contribution that farmers make and the vital role they play. They preserve, maintain and protect our countryside, and create jobs not only in farming but in sectors such as food processing, engineering and tourism. Most importantly, they feed the nation.

“In the past year our farmers have had a particularly difficult time. For many, the price they are being paid does not cover the cost of production. If this continues we will see farms disappear and less food produced. We need to create an environment where farmers are consistently paid a fair price so that they have confidence to invest in their business, employ the workers they need and produce the food and drink to meet UK demand and beyond.”

This post first appeared on HortNews.