Interview Interview with Elin Jones, Minister for Rural Affairs, Welsh Assembly Government .

Elin Jones was elected to the Assembly in May 1999 and served as Shadow Economic Development Minister during the Assembly’s first term. Following the Assembly election in 2003, she retained this portfolio until 2006 when she became Shadow Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside. On 9 July 2007 the One Wales Government was formed and Elin was made Minister for Rural Affairs.

This review has a focus on food, but nonetheless it would be helpful for our readers to understand the full range of your brief. Could you summarise your responsibilities, and perhaps prioritise them? My responsibilities are wide-ranging and include farming, forestry, food and fisheries in Wales, and my department also ensures that all Welsh Assembly Government policies take account of any rural issues.

High profile issues such as bovine TB, farm subsidy payments, animal disease outbreaks, the promotion of food from Wales, land management, farm business support, fisheries management and plant health including GM crops, all fall within my remit.

In terms of my priorities, ensuring a having implications for the public, and governments, sustainable future for farming, fishing sustainability. Also of economic recognising the value of the services and the woodland industries is at the significance are potential conflicts delivered, whilst supporting a balanced heart of all the policies for which I am between landscape, tourism and approach to the delivery on the food responsible. sustainable energy. production agenda, as well as the In Wales, as elsewhere, there are delivery of other public goods and As outlined in the One Wales agenda for always competing priorities for land use services. government agreed in 2007, my main and sometimes these lead to conflicts. focus is on the following key We have to balance the need of The new, overarching food strategy for commitments: landowners to make a living from the Wales for the next 10 years– Food for land with the expectations of wider Wales Food from Wales makes a bold • Securing a £795million Rural societ y of landowners to maintain the step-change in adopting a broad food Development Plan for Wales landscape and act in an system approach to food policy. It • A scheme to support new entrants to environmentally-responsible way. brings together many crosscutting farming issues in the areas of health, food • A major initiative on local food We have to think cleverly about culture and education, food security, procurement balancing these demands, and my environmental sustainability and • Support for indigenous woodlands, Department has responded with a new community development to provide the including a tree for all new babies agri-environment scheme, Glastir, which basis for an integrated approach to food and adopted children, helping to will compensate farmers for providing policy. create a W elsh National F orest en vironmental services. • A Strategic Action Plan for the dairy Can you outline the strategic industry I work closely with the other devolved objectives of the Farming Connect • Securing a derogation for W ales to administr ations and UK go vernment, as service? EU R egulations prohibiting the burial well as with other Ministers within the Farming Connect supports the of fallen stock on farm land Welsh Assembly Government to deal development of farming and forestry • To pursue vigorously the eradication with competing demands on land use in businesses, enabling them to remain of bovine TB Wales. For example, the Environment viable and meet future challenges in a • Identifying and addressing the Minister Jane Davidson and I have just sustainable and innovative way. particular needs of “deep rur al” finished a public consultation on the areas Natural Environment Framework for It offers one-to-one support, • Maintaining our commitment to Wales, which focuses on managing our knowledge, expertise, training and maximum restrictions on GM crops. en vironment as a whole r ather than advisory services. It offers mentoring focusing on separ ate parts. and help with the production of a Whole Do you perceive conflicts in your Farm Plan, a business plan for farm and portfolio, and how are these What is meant by the term forest enterprises. resolved? For example, there are sustainable farming? perhaps conflicts between The vision of sustainable farming is an Services are tailored to the individual conventional and organic farming, industry that enhances the economic, farming business’ needs, but include and between pastoral and social and environmental wellbeing of support in areas such as finance, horticultural land use, with each people in Wales. Its success depends on technical, environmental, animal

26 Interview welfare and diversification and branded commodities, and food industry itself to fulfil its potential. I innovation. Many services are fully producers need to exploit these. think this approach is the most funded or subsidised by 80%. Farming appropriate to ensure the sector in Connect can help farmers to run their That said, we are a small nation Wales capitalises on its strengths. businesses more efficiently and punching above our weight in terms of ultimately safeguard the future of the our production of high quality food. Our Should food producers (whether farm business. lamb and beef are iconic, while our farmers or manufacturers) in Wales cheese and seafood is up there with the be encouraged to expand their Learning new skills and refreshing old best in the world. We are also gaining a markets outside the UK? ones is vital if individuals are to keep up reputation for our innovative food and I am committed to the promotion of with changes in the industry, and drink and hospitality sector, led by Welsh food in international markets, and Farming Connect offers regulatory and producers who know their market and believe that food producers should be vocational training courses and strategic develop their products in line with its encouraged to export where appropriate awareness events, as well as keeping demands. and possible. farmers up-to-date with the latest know-how. Cheese production in Wales is one area The success of Welsh Lamb exports are in which milk producers are excelling in well publicised, but we need to ensure What reputation does Wales have terms of adding value. Around 80% of that we are able to help the wider food as a food producer, outside Wales? the milk produced in Wales is processed and drink industry take advantage of What is your assessment of this into cheese, both for the mass market opportunities both within the UK and reputation? and the quality market. This year, Caws abroad. By doing this, we not only raise Cenarth’ s Golden Cenarth won best the competitiv eness and viability of our Welsh food has a long-established Semi Soft cheese, best Welsh Cheese industry, but also promote Wales as a reputation for distinctiveness and and won the Supreme Champion at this producer of a diverse range of quality quality, making it popular with year’s British Cheese Awards, beating products. consumers across the world. Wales 903 other cheeses to the title. prides itself on supplying some of the We must also remember that we also finest produce in the world. Thanks to The food manufacturing sector in need food to ensure we can feed the our producers, our unique geography, Wales is important. How does your people of Wales. Our new Food Strategy, climate and farming practices, Wales portfolio overlap with others in Food for Wales, Food from Wales sets a boasts a range of high quality foods, relation to this sector? What do you radical direction for industry and from our iconic Welsh lamb and beef to consider to be an appropriate role Government, and faces up to the cheeses and Welsh seafood. for the Welsh Assembly challenge of ensuring that people have Government in developing the access to the affordable and healthy Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef have both sector? food they need whilst ensuring that it been awarded the coveted status of There are links between food does not impact adversely on the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) manufacturing and many Welsh natural environment. by the European Commission, a status Assembly Government departments enjoyed by the finest regional products other than my own. Our recently The challenge facing food producers is from around the world, such as Parma published ten-year strategy for the food to increase production to meet the Ham and Champagne. The PGI badge of sector in Wales reflects the cross-cutting demand from a growing population so authenticity means that only lambs and nature of food and its importance across that healthy food is available to all, cattle born and reared in Wales and all policy areas. while ensuring our land is sustainably slaughtered in an appro ved abattoir can managed. I am confident that the be marketed as Welsh. The stock must The Department for Econom y and industry can respond positiv ely to these also be fully traceable. Transport, through its business support challenges. programmes, has strong links with the Last summer, I launched the European sector , as does the Health and Social What does the Welsh Assembly Protected Food Names Initiative, to Services portfolio , particularly in relation Government do to support export increase the number of W elsh products to healthy eating and improving initiatives, and how is the success eligible for PGI status. The benefits for wellbeing. of such support measured? the beef and lamb sector have been As part of the support we provide to tremendous in terms of consumer and Ensuring that the food we produce does food and drink producers in Wales, we tr ade recognition both within the United not impact adv ersely on the activ ely help them to access Kingdom but also overseas. environment and our natural resources opportunities within both home and is the domain of the Environment, overseas markets. We aim to increase the Welsh share Sustainabilit y and Housing portfolio , so from two products with PGI status to ten again there are links with the sector . We ha ve close links with food and drink over the next two years. businesses and understand their Direct support for the food industry has business needs. We offer a fully funded, In future, we want Wales to increasingly been provided by the Welsh Assembly detailed export capability review and be seen as a foodie destination, and our Government and European Union appropriate guidance to any business Food T ourism Action Plan focuses on through the Processing and Marketing wishing to export their product or ensuring visitors to W ales enjoy food as Scheme, part of the 2007-13 Rural explore new export markets. When part of the overall Welsh experience. Development Plan. To date, the Scheme required, we follow this up with market has committed £25.5million into the entry advice and support from local in- Does Wales over or under achieve in food sector in W ales, helping 155 mark et specialists, helping those terms of converting primary companies to develop their businesses. businesses maximise their chances of agricultural outputs into high success. quality branded commodities? While government can help the sector There are alw ays opportunities for food dev elop , by providing direction and Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion producers to add v alue to their primary support, it is ultimately up to the Wales, the Welsh red meat promotional produce b y dev eloping high qualit y

27 Interview body, has successfully secured new aim is to facilitate the purchase of Welsh TB Eradication Programme in Wales is markets for Welsh red meat food and drink by retailers, and help being taken forward. internationally, including Hong Kong, them effectively manage their Singapore and Dubai. It has also relationships with producers. However, this will also mean that the developed existing international farming industry will be relied upon to markets such as Italy and France, to a Access to Welsh seafood in Wales has come up with solutions for tackling point where lamb exports alone were traditionally been restricted because of many other animal diseases that do not worth £109 million in 2009. the high dependence of the industry on have implications for human health. As export to Europe. Through the European we move forward it will become The success of export initiatives is Fisheries Fund, which has committed essential that we continue to develop measured by the value of deals or £7.4million to the fishing industry in ways of collaborative working that contracts secured with overseas buyers. Wales, real progress is being made to promote the highest standards of animal In turn, the increase in business for the address our reliance on the European health and welfare. producer will have an effect on their market. A recent success was the turnover, production, and number of agreement between the South West Therefore, my current strategy is to employees. These are all elements Wales Fishing Association and Waitrose, encourage production of very high which we try and measure through our which has increased the range of Welsh quality produce. This, coupled with high contact with the industry. fish and shellfish in store. animal welfare standards, will ensure a highly sustainable farming industry that How satisfactory is the market What do you consider to be the has an internationally recognised structure of UK food suppliers? For greatest challenge for Welsh reputation for its excellence in food example, just as a few big banks farmers and food producers over production. have come to dominate the financial the next decade? sector, is this not also the case with The major challenge ahead is how Wales In addition, less financial support from regard to supermarkets and retail can maintain its food production the Common Agricultur al Policy (CAP) food? potential while at the same time cutting may be a challenge for farming. The The Welsh Assembly Government aims emissions of greenhouse gases. European Commission has emphasised to support the right market conditions to the importance of maintaining farming enable fair competition and supports the In 2009, I set up the independent Land and food production across the 27 introduction of a fully independent Use Climate Change Group to report to Member States, which is good news for enforcement body. me on how the rural sector can respond Welsh farmers. Single Payment will to climate change in terms of food continue to be the main support I have pressed for the introduction of an supply and security, carbon mechanism for farmers but with ombudsman to intervene where unfair sequestration and renewable energy pressure on the EU budget and austerity practice is suspected, and have made reply. measures in Member States, farmers this view clear to the UK government on will increasingly become market The report’s emphasis is on maintaining several occasions. I am therefore dependent. intensive dairy, sheep and beef sectors pleased with the recent decision to while diversifying and increasing introduce a “Groceries Code The future CAP is emphasising the vegetable crops. In the longer term, the Adjudicator” to monitor and enforce the importance of food and environmental report recommends development of a Groceries Supply Chain Code of Practice. security as well as sustainable rural more radical approach where much of development, and funding will be the cattle herd is housed and methane This is an important step towards the maintained to support the provision of emissions are captured. By 2040, establishment of an arbitrator but I am these ‘public goods’. Farmers need to be agriculture and land use sectors could aware that we could be some way off astute business men and women to make substantial progress to carbon seeing anyone in that position. secure a profitable future through an neutrality. integrated approach to the production of In W ales, we ha ve a div erse r ange of food and en vironmental benefits. CAP I will be publishing an implementation opportunities for food producers to sell Reform inevitably means change and plan based on the R eport ’s their products. One in five Welsh food business planning will greatly reduce recommendations soon. and drink products is bought direct from negative impacts such as income the producer, a statistic of which I am A visible example of the effect of climate redistribution. particularly pleased. Food festivals, change on farming today, and one which farmers mark ets, farm shops and has featured in the media is its impact Elin Jones, Thank You . projects like Pembrokeshire Produce on animal health. Direct have increased opportunities for the consumer to buy direct. Climate change ma y ha ve a significant impact on new and emerging animal Supermark ets are becoming more diseases such as Bluetongue and African aware of the local sourcing agenda and Horse Sickness, leading to an increase are stocking an increasing range of in the need for surveillance by Welsh products. Through our consumer government and increasing vigilance tracking research, we are able to from the farming community. identify how and where consumers buy Welsh food and drink and work with This increase coupled with other factors those retailers we feel are will mean that the scope of Go vernment underperforming in this area. to interv ene and support the farming industry to manage endemic animal We have a dedicated trade development diseases is likely to become increasingly programme to help companies large and limited and you will see a more small to engage with the r ange of collabor ativ e approach being taken. This retailers we have in the UK. The main is already evident in the way the bovine

Welsh Economic Review 22 SPRING 2011 28