Committees

Labour shortages in the food and farming sector

Inquiry

There have been reports of labour shortages affecting some businesses throughout the food and farming sector, for example:

  • farms have been unable to hire all the seasonal workers they need to harvest food (and pick other crops such as flowers);
  • businesses in the food and drink processing sector – the country’s largest manufacturing sector – have seen their output fall due to recruitment problems;
  • shortages of HGV drivers, who provide the vital linkages within the food supply chain;
  • some empty shelves at supermarkets & local stores and some menu items being unavailable at restaurants, which have had impacts for consumers.

The reasons are complex: Brexit following the end of the Transition Period on 31 December - including the introduction of the Government’s new immigration policy - and the covid-19 pandemic in particular are often cited, but are other factors also at play, and are the causes temporary or permanent?

This inquiry will explore what is causing labour shortages, and the impact on the food and farming sector both now and in the future.

It will also ask what other factors are affecting the food supply chain. This is likely to focus on the new post-Brexit trading relationship with the EU, including the latest impact of additional red tape and checks at the border since 1 January 2021 on businesses exporting food (and other “Sanitary and Phytosanitary”, or SPS, goods) to the EU. The inquiry will also consider the Government’s latest delay to introducing border controls and checks for SPS imports from the EU, including the effect on the competitiveness of British businesses.

Read the call for evidence for more information about this inquiry.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 15 October 2021.

Upcoming events

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No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Tuesday 14 December 2021
10:00am Private
10:30am Public
Labour shortages in the food and farming sector - Oral evidence 14 December 2021
10:30am
  • Kevin Foster MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Home Office)
  • Philippa Rouse (Director at SRO Future Border & Immigration System Programme, Migration & Borders Group)
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 16 November 2021
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Labour shortages in the food and farming sector - Oral evidence 16 November 2021
2:30pm
  • George Eustice (Secretary of State at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • David Kennedy (Director-General, Food, Farming and Bio-Security at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 9 November 2021
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Labour shortages in the food and farming sector - Oral evidence 9 November 2021
2:30pm
  • Kate Nicholls (Chief Executive Officer at UK Hospitality)
  • Andrew Opie (Director of Food and Sustainability at British Retail Consortium)
  • Mr Tom Southall (Policy Director at Cold Chain Federation)
3:30pm
  • Dr Ben Broadbent (Deputy Governor at Bank of England)
  • Madeleine Sumption (Director at Migration Observatory)
  • Professor Jo Swaffield (Professor of Economics at University of York)
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 26 October 2021
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Labour shortages in the food and farming sector - Oral evidence 26 October 2021
2:30pm
  • Tom Bradshaw (Vice President at National Farmers' Union)
  • Graeme Dear (Chair at British Poultry Council)
  • Derek Jarman (Chair Designate at British Protected Ornamentals Association)
  • Charlie Dewhirst (Policy Adviser at National Pig Association)
3:45pm
  • Mr Nick Allen (Chief Executive Officer at British Meat Processors Association)
  • Mr James Russell (Senior Vice President at British Veterinary Association)
  • Ian Wright (Chief Executive Officer at Food and Drink Federation)
Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Contact us

We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone. Please be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints.

  • Email: efracom@parliament.uk
  • Address: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA