The Townswomen’s Guilds are getting their teeth into persuading food processors, supermarkets and anyone who sells or serves food in the UK to buy British.

Representatives of the UK’s 37,000 Townswomen at their AGM on Monday, June 14 at Birmingham’s ICC are being asked to mandate the national executive of the country’s largest campaigning women’s group to get involved at national and local levels with the aim of supporting UK farmers.

Unsavoury statistics being presented are:

• Between 1997 and 2008 UK land for vegetable production fell by 25%.

• The number of UK dairy farmers dropped 34% between 1997 and 2008 and the number of dairy cows by 30%.

• The UK pig population declined 39% between 1997 and 2007.

• In 1991 the UK was 86.7% self sufficient for indigenous foods. By 2008 this had dropped to 72.9%.

• In 1991 the UK was 75.3% self-sufficient for all its food. By 2008 this had dropped to 60.3%.

• In 2007 a total £26.6 billion worth of food was imported and £11.4 billion worth exported – a trade gap of £15.2 billion.

Issues the Townswomen want to tackle include clearer, comprehensive food labelling so consumers can easily identify the country of origin and choose local and/or seasonal goods, how to make it easier for people to choose where to eat out based on the provenance of ingredients used and encouraging UK food processors to use local produce.

In January the government published Food 2030, which sets out a strategy for food and farming over the next 20 years – the first of its kind since Clement Attlee’s government.

“We want to ensure the strategy is followed with appropriate action to make sure targets are met,” said Sue Smith, Townswomens’ Guilds’ National Chairman.

Guest speaker in support is farmers’ champion Ionwen Lewis, former President of the Women’s Food and Farming Union and herself a farmer in Wales for 50 years.

“Agriculture is so important in many ways – conserving the countryside, providing food, providing exports, providing jobs to name a few, but farmers are increasingly struggling against European legislation,” said Ionwen.

Presenting the counter-argument is Adam Gardner from The Fair Trade Foundation.