Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:47 pm on 9 November 2022.
So, what should be done? Well, as Saint David said, we should do the little things. In order to reduce our dependence on imports that are driving climate change and the nature emergency, we must ensure that our supply chains are local, and in order to do that we need to develop a solid local food strategy.
There are many examples of successful community food initiatives, and at a time when we are living in a cost-of-living crisis, with thousands dependent on foodbanks and with climate change happening before our very eyes, then we must develop a strategy that works not only for us, but for our brothers and sisters across the world.
Consider the great work that's being done by Y Dref Werdd in Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is working on a local food growing project, and is collaborating with the Llandrillo Menai Group to hold cooking sessions, teaching people how to prepare nutritious food. Antur Aelhaearn in Llanaelhaearn has also been developing similar projects, and if you had gone there a few months ago, you would have been able to enjoy a feast of vegetables from the community garden. There are similar examples across the country, but we need to support them and enable others to emulate them.
There is enormous potential here for growing food locally. That's why we're calling here today for the development of a more self-sustaining food system, ensuring that sustainable products are being developed in every community, and that we are not overly dependent on importing materials.
This would mean reversing the losses we have seen in the ability to process food locally; driving the local supply chain forward; prioritising imports of only sustainable materials from abroad; and helping to solve the problems of malnutrition and poverty that are endemic in some communities. Thank you.