Wales to develop national ‘farm to fork’ food strategy

Nation.Cymru staff

The Welsh Government is to develop a National Food Strategy aimed at joining up every stage of the food system – from farming and food production to public health, schools and supermarkets.

Announcing the plans at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability Llyr Gruffydd said the strategy would take a “whole-system” approach to food policy and help ensure more of the value created by Welsh food is retained within Wales.

The strategy is one of the new government’s first 100-day commitments and is expected to be presented to ministers during 2027.

As part of the work, food writer, restaurateur and broadcaster Simon Wright has been appointed to chair an independent Expert Working Group that will advise ministers on the strategy’s development.

Wright, who owns Wright’s Food Emporium in Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, was named Food Ambassador for Wales in 2010 and became Professor of Practice at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in 2021. He is a former editor of the AA Restaurant Guide and was restaurant consultant on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares for more than a decade.

Last year he co-founded the charity Cegin y Bobl, which works with schools and communities across Wales to improve food literacy through cooking.

The Welsh Government said the food and drink supply chain employs around 16% of Wales’ workforce, while turnover across the sector increased by £811 million between 2024 and 2025 to reach £11.1 billion. Since 2019, turnover has grown by £2.9 billion, or 35%.

The expert group will advise ministers on the challenges and opportunities facing Wales’ food system, identify gaps in existing policy and recommend how success should be measured. It will not have any decision-making powers, with its terms of reference and membership due to be published at a later date.

The strategy aims to bring together policies covering food production, processing, retail, public procurement, education, health and the circular economy in a bid to create a more joined-up approach.

World-class produce

Llyr Gruffydd said: “Welsh farmers produce sustainable, high-quality food, and our food and drink sector turns that world-class produce into a wide variety of products enjoyed across Wales and exported abroad, creating jobs and adding value.

“We want to build on that success.

“This strategy will bring together the whole food system; from our farmers and fishers to our retailers, schools and communities, so that we can make better, more joined-up decisions for the benefit of everyone in Wales.”

Simon Wright said: “Wales punches well above its weight in food and drink, but there’s so much more we can do.

“This is a real opportunity to cut through and get things right for our industry and the country.”

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