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Cameron's British food label call Cameron 'buy British food' call
(about 1 hour later)
Conservative leader David Cameron says clearer labelling is needed to help shoppers buy genuinely British food. Conservative leader David Cameron says clearer labelling is needed to help people to buy genuinely British food.
Mr Cameron says that under current rules people can be wrongly led to believe produce from abroad is British. At present foreign produce processed in the UK can be labelled as British, he told the Oxford Farming Conference.
He also told the Oxford Farming Conference that the handling of farming subsidies, many of which have been paid late, had been "a complete disgrace". He said "food patriotism" was on the rise and backed a "buy British" policy for the £1.8bn of food bought each year for schools, hospitals and the army.
Meanwhile Environment Secretary David Miliband called on farmers to get involved in growing crops for biofuels. Meanwhile Environment Secretary David Miliband urged farmers to grow more crops that can be used as biofuels.
Mr Cameron told the conference that labelling of produce must be "rigorous and transparent".
Under current rules, processing of foreign produce in the UK allows it to be labelled as British, the Tory leader says.
Consumer choiceConsumer choice
"Today British consumers can find it difficult to back British farmers, because of inadequate labelling. Mr Cameron told the conference that consumers "can find it difficult to back British farmers, because of inadequate labelling".
"Food can be imported to Britain, processed here, and subsequently labelled in a way that suggests it's genuinely British. That is completely wrong." He called it "completely wrong" that food "can be imported to Britain, processed here, and subsequently labelled in a way that suggests it's genuinely British".
The saga of the Rural Payments Agency, and late payments, was nothing short of a complete disgrace David Cameron The saga of the Rural Payments Agency, and late payments, was nothing short of a complete disgrace David Cameron href="/1/hi/sci/tech/6225827.stm" class="">Climate 'benefits' for farmers
He told the conference he believed there was a rise in "food patriotism", with more people buying British, and said government policy should make it easier for people to set up farmers' markets and farm shops. He said more people were buying British, and said government policy should make it easier for people to set up farmers' markets and farm shops.
And he suggested the government, which spends £1.8bn a year on food for the public sector, had no way of measuring the success of its attempts to encourage public bodies to buy food locally. And he said it was a "scandal" that the government, which spends £1.8bn a year on food for the public sector, did not measure the success of its attempts to encourage public bodies to buy food locally.
The government had been guilty of some "rank inefficiency" towards the countryside, he added. On broader issues he said the government had been guilty of some "rank inefficiency" towards the countryside.
"The saga of the Rural Payments Agency, and late payments, was nothing short of a complete disgrace," he said."The saga of the Rural Payments Agency, and late payments, was nothing short of a complete disgrace," he said.
"In any other walk of life, the person ultimately in charge would have to take responsibility. In politics, in this country, under this government, they get made foreign secretary""In any other walk of life, the person ultimately in charge would have to take responsibility. In politics, in this country, under this government, they get made foreign secretary"
Global warming creates problems - but it will also create new markets and new opportunities David MilibandEnvironment secretaryGlobal warming creates problems - but it will also create new markets and new opportunities David MilibandEnvironment secretary
Speaking at the same conference, Mr Miliband said opportunities would arise for farmers as more consumers switch to biofuels - fuel typically derived from certain crops. Speaking at the same conference, Mr Miliband said opportunities would arise for farmers as more consumers switch to biofuels - fuels which are "greener" and typically derived from certain crops.
He said while global warming created problems, it also created new markets and opportunities which farmers needed to grasp.He said while global warming created problems, it also created new markets and opportunities which farmers needed to grasp.
But he warned that those who caused pollution, including those involved in agriculture of import and export, would have to pay.But he warned that those who caused pollution, including those involved in agriculture of import and export, would have to pay.
UK farmers will have a chance to become leaders in the field of "green" agriculture, he said.UK farmers will have a chance to become leaders in the field of "green" agriculture, he said.
"Every part of our economy will have to change dramatically if we are to live within our environmental limits. Farming as a sector is no exception.""Every part of our economy will have to change dramatically if we are to live within our environmental limits. Farming as a sector is no exception."
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