NFU launches food and farming fellowship scheme
By Robert Blair, Partner and ARA specialist
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has introduced an innovative initiative aimed at educating newly elected MPs on the critical financial and economic importance of the UK’s food and farming sector.
The Food and Farming Fellowship Scheme, backed by industry heavyweights such as ABP UK, AIC, Arla Foods, Barfoots, BEIC, and Fareshare, offers MPs a unique opportunity to understand the intricate financial dynamics that sustain British agriculture.
For farmers and agricultural businesses, this initiative is a strategic move to secure the financial future of the sector.
By bringing MPs directly into the heart of farming operations, the scheme will help ensure that the economic challenges and opportunities within the industry are fully understood and supported at the highest levels of Government.
Speaking on nfuonline.com, NFU President Tom Bradshaw emphasised the scheme’s potential to create a new wave of “champion MPs” who will advocate for the financial sustainability of the farming sector in both their constituencies and Westminster.
“With the support of our sponsor partners, we will provide MPs with the tools and knowledge they need to highlight the critical role of food security in national security and to push for the necessary growth and investment in British farming,” he stated.
This focus is designed to ensure that farmers can continue to produce safe, sustainable, and affordable food while maintaining their environmental responsibilities.
Peterborough’s newly elected MP, Andrew Pakes, has already joined the Fellowship Scheme, recognising the financial significance of supporting local agriculture.
Speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph, he noted: “As a newly elected MP, I’m extremely proud to sign up to the NFU’s Fellowship Scheme and demonstrate my full support to our incredible farmers and growers across the Peterborough constituency who do a fantastic and valuable job in providing us with high-quality food alongside caring for our much-loved countryside.”
The scheme will guide MPs through various farming sectors, offering insights into the financial pressures and opportunities within the industry.
For farmers and agribusinesses, the NFU’s Fellowship Scheme is a positive step towards ensuring that future policies and budgets reflect the economic realities of farming.
The scheme’s political involvement aims to secure the financial backing and investment needed to sustain British agriculture’s growth and profitability in the coming years.