In line with our policies on the economy, energy and environment, the Natural Law Party will promote the consumption of locally-produced and locally-processed food, thereby reducing the costs and environmental damage associated with transport, and increasing the income and employment available in rural communities.

The present economic framework of UK agriculture is dominated by the European Union Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The resultant government subsidies amount to around 50% of the farm-gate value of the food produced (OECD, 1994). The CAP encourages overproduction and wasteful food surpluses, using high levels of external chemical and energy inputs. It favours large producers to a greater extent than small family farms.

• A total reform of the CAP, seeking long-term to minimize government subsidies and, in the medium-term, to design such intervention to encourage the transition to sustainable farming systems. In other words, we will put in place a subsidy structure to help the shift to natural, organic agriculture;
• Improvement of the marketing skills of food producers;
• Farmers markets selling locally produced food;
• Agriculture as a source of renewable non-food resources, e.g. biomass energy or materials and chemicals for manufacturing and construction;
• Local, family-owned agricultural processing businesses, which add value to commodities at source and create higher income for rural communities;
• revitalising rural communities by decentralising government and public services and by favouring building programmes in small towns rather than the extension of city suburbs (see section on Housing and National Planning).

International trade

The Natural Law Party will promote initiatives for ecologically sustainable food production abroad for those foods which cannot be grown in Britain. The Natural Law Party will encourage the use of British expertise and equipment to develop these organic production systems overseas. Trade of British foods to regions overseas where they cannot be grown will also be promoted. Thereby, mutually beneficial international trade in agricultural commodities, equipment and services will be encouraged.

Especially in the case of developing countries, care will be taken to ensure a fair division of the profits from this international trade so that local producers receive greater reward and the local economy is strengthened rather than forced into debt.