Food and Farming in Devon
The food revolution means we all think a little bit more about how our food is produced, where it comes from and what it costs. The pandemic has spotlighted the fragility not just of our food supply chains, but of the global supply chains in general.
While supermarkets responded robustly, it was the farm shops, butchers, bakers and greengrocers who used the tried and tested local supply chains to keep us all fed. As a result, the quality of meat eaten across the UK improved, seasonal vegetables came into fashion and perhaps most importantly, our homegrown producers – our fishermen and farmers - saw greater domestic demand and their at-gate prices improved dramatically.
This needs to continue. Not only do we need to provide greater support for our fishing and farming communities, but we need to learn to rely on our land and domestic produce far more. In autumn 2022, the Secretary of State for Farming will produce the first Food Security report as designated from the Agriculture Bill. Such a report will highlight our strengths and weaknesses in domestic production as well as our reliance on imports. But perhaps most importantly, it will allow us to make the case between healthier food and healthier living.
Poor diets cost the NHS billions each year. Effective campaigns are already in place to educate people on alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, and to reduce unhealthy habits. It is time to consider how we can do the same with food.
If successful, not only will people be healthier, but we will end up supporting and safeguarding our stewards of land and sea – our farmers and fishermen.
Organ Donation
When it comes to organ donation, the Government’s opt-out system appears to have improved the chances of patients across the UK from receiving a transplant if needed. Since 2008 there has been a 95% increase in donors and a 58% increase in donor transplants.
However, these positive numbers camouflage some of the underlying issues that remain around organ donation and local transplant facilities. Firstly, despite the opt-out system and the Organ Donor Register being in place, family members are still able to object to an organ being donated should they wish. On top of which, our local health care infrastructure is limited in performing transplant operations. In many instances, this sees those in need of transplants travelling across the whole country in the hope of reaching a much-needed organ before it spoils.
This week, I held a Westminster Hall Debate on the Organ Donation and Transplantation Strategy to specifically raise these points and to suggest where Government can improve its strategy and enhance donations. All of this came about because of Sarah Meredith a 29-year-old woman living in South Devon with Cystic Fibrosis. Sarah has been on the liver transplant waiting list for eight months, while the median time spent waiting for a liver is 72 days.
The Government has taken a step in the right direction regarding the opt-out initiative, but it must encourage more to sign the Organ Donor Register as well as improve regional healthcare infrastructure to accommodate more transplants.