The Key Stakeholders in UK Food Production are the Farmers and Consumers

We need to ask the questions: ‘What does it mean to be a stakeholder?’ and ‘Who are the real stakeholders?’

Because the interests of the people who are guiding, influencing and controlling the most visible forms of food standards that communicate what farmers do to those who consume the food produced, are not focused or aligned with the interests of the most important stakeholders who are located at each end.

The focus of power and influence in UK food production is instead directed to the many middle parts of what is in the main an otherwise unnecessary chain.

No value is added. But production prices are squeezed from every angle, whilst the price to the consumer is repeatedly being raised.

The role of commercial, profit and greed-led businesses in UK food production is bad enough. But any argument that statutory authorities have the right to dictate the direction of food production and also insert themselves into the food chain as a key stakeholder, is willfully and deliberately misplaced and, in all honesty, wrong.

Government and the public sector exists to serve the people. Not to make every decision that will dictate what any person or what any business can do.

This is where we are all getting our relationship with the establishment and every part of it wrong.

This post was taken and adapted from the book Food From Farms Guaranteed, published on Amazon, 16/02/24.