Potentials for linking food and health strategies

Extract

Climate change and environmental issues have emerged as major present drivers of UK animal agriculture. However, the longer-term vision for a profitable, sustainable future is for the food industry (food production, processing, retailing catering and marketing) to become more integrated in terms of providing good food for consumers who place more emphasis on healthy diets (Curry Report 2002). BSAS has seen considerable change in the types of animal science that have been reported at its meetings over the last 50 years, from the emphasis on greater production in the 1950s and 60s to greater efficiency in the 70s and 80s to better quality products in more recent times. However, whilst the animal industry has come a long way in terms of the quality of its products, it has had to face a series of ‘scares’ over recent years that have eroded consumer confidence in these products and the farmer’s share of a basket of food staples (down 25% from 1988). Nowadays total farm income in the UK (£3 billion per year) is tiny when considered in terms of consumer expenditure on food, drink and catering (£152 billion per year).