Archbishop in 'buy British' plea

The Archbishop said buying British could help farmers in tough times

The Archbishop of York has called for a government-led campaign to encourage shoppers to buy British food.

Dr John Sentamu told a farmers' event that buying local produce would help the UK's economy and sustainability.

He said a return to a "buy British" mindset would help overcome some of the difficulties the farming community had faced in recent years.

"Buying British, buying locally and buying directly from farmers can all help," he said.

Dr Sentamu was speaking at the York East County National Farmers Union (NFU) centenary dinner at York Racecourse on Friday night.

Sharp decline

He said around 40% of food was imported to the UK, with that figure rising to 89% for fruit.

As more food was imported, there were growing concerns about the power of supermarkets, the sharp decline in farm incomes, environmental issues and health concerns about food safety.

He added that problems facing livestock farmers meant the disincentives to continue with meat production could soon become overwhelming.

"Buying British, buying locally and buying directly from farmers can all help as a simple measure," Dr Sentamu told the NFU members.

"A government-led campaign which promotes each of these would be a good start."

He said farmers faced many difficulties, including increased fuel prices, increased production costs and falling crop prices.

Dr Sentamu said last summer's floods, the bluetongue outbreak and the current financial recession had all hit farmers' incomes.