Food, glorious food

After the Service for Remembrance Sunday at the Cathedral, I took the chance to visit the excellent Winchester Farmers’ Market.

For some reason, I always end up buying too many jars of pickle at Farmers’ Markets, but on this occasion I managed to resist buying anything until I gave in to a cup of homemade chocolate. Once my guard was down a Christmas pudding and some rare breed sausages followed in quick succession (to take home, not to eat immediately!).

It struck me before the last election just how many policy areas are affected by food. I remember having an excellent discussion on the topic with the owner of Laverstoke Park Farm during a visit before the last election with our parliamentary spokesperson on food. There are obvious and strong links between food and health. There are also links between food and behaviour in school and, according to a report by former inspector of prisons Lord Ramsbotham, in prison too. Quite apart from the local impact of farming policy on the environment, food air miles have a impact on climate change.

I think we could do more to campaign on food in the Liberal Democrats. We had a policy for more local, healthier school food in place before Jamie Oliver’s excellent campaign had even started, and did nothing with it. I’d like food quality to feature more heavily in our campaigning on behaviour, health and education.