1. The main objective of the Food Standards Agency as set out in the Food Standards Act 1999 is ‘to protect public health from risks which may arise in connection with the consumption of food (including risks caused by the way in which it is produced or supplied) and otherwise protect the interests of consumers in relation to food’. The Agency has no responsibility for the sponsorship of any food industry sector.
2. The Agency has carried out extensive research using a range of techniques on the views and values that consumers hold about food and the way that it is produced. Much of this was commissioned specifically to inform this submission. It is clear from the results obtained that consumers are not a homogeneous group, and many disparate and sometimes conflicting views were expressed. However, the overall position seems to be that when shopping for food, the most important factors are price, time and convenience. Secondary issues include the intensity of production, animal welfare, and environmental concerns. Some expressed a wish for food to be produced in the UK rather than imported, and some for more food to be produced locally. This latter view is not widely held but where it is, is strongly held by those who hold it. This submission seeks to analyse the implications of these consumer preferences for farming and food production, and identify the trade-offs inherent in any consequential changes.
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