A Welsh Food System

Plaid Cymru wants to see a Wales where everyone has dignified access to nutritious and sustainably produced food, in a way that secures a fair income for farmers and all food sector workers.

A Plaid Cymru Government will develop a food system strategy for Wales by establishing a cross sector Food System Commission, to be tasked with developing a roadmap towards a food System that’s fit for future generations.

We would increase Welsh processing capacity across the board. Reversing the loss of local processing capacity will be a positive move for the communities who live and work in rural areas, for animal welfare, for tackling climate change and for the rural economy.

All public procurement of food should prioritise the purchase of Welsh-produced food. Local and regional public procurement – for example in schools, hospitals and council offices – can help create markets for local food businesses.

In addition we would:

• Promote ‘Made in Wales’ on Welsh food products, working with producers to create high value products to appeal to a wider market.
• Create an online sales platform for Welsh food for domestic consumption.
• Provide start-up funds for creating publicly or cooperatively owned shops specialising in domestically produced products to give people access to high-quality food, give producers direct access to customers and to reinvigorate town centres.
• Support the development of urban farms in creating ultra-local food systems in our cities.