Member of the Senedd for Monmouth Peter Fox MS was successful in a ballot for the right for a non-Government Senedd Member to bring forward a proposal for a new law, and has until 17 December 2022 to finalise and introduce his proposed Food Bill.
As part of this process, a consultation was launched on 18th July on the draft Food (Wales) Bill inviting those involved with the food supply chain and members of the public to provide their views.
The draft Food (Wales) Bill seeks to establish a more sustainable food system in Wales to strengthen food security, improve Wales’ socioeconomic well-being, and enhance consumer choice. The draft Bill will also provide a framework that enables a coherent, consistent and strategic cross-governmental approach to policy and practice on all aspects of the food system.
The Bill covers four key areas:
- Introducing ‘Food Goals’: including a ‘primary food goal’ to put in place an overarching duty for the provision of affordable, healthy, and economically and environmentally sustainable food; supplemented by ‘secondary food goals’ in specific areas
- Establishing a Welsh Food Commission: including powers to monitor and report on progress towards Government commitments, as well as statutory commitments, and to oversee the delivery of the Food Goals and food plans
- National Food Strategies and Local Food Plans: to require public bodies to have regard to existing policy and legislative commitments – including the Future Generations Act, as well as international agreements such as the UN Development Goals – when designing food policy
- Tackling food waste: reducing the food waste created by food producers and consumers is set out as one of the secondary food goals
The consultation closed on 16th September 2022 and the FUW response can be viewed here.