MPs on NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship scheme visit Barfoots

Recently Barfoots welcomed MPs on the NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship scheme to Sefter Farm to learn more about the horticulture sector in the UK.

The NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship Scheme showcases the industry to MPs and provides the opportunity to better their understanding of UK farming and food. The visit was attended by the NFU’s national Horticulture and Potatoes Board Chair, Martin Emmett, alongside MPs from Labour and Liberal Democrats. The group were given a tour of the farm and its facilities by Julian Marks, Group CEO at Barfoots, alongside Farms Director, Neil Cairns, Head of Factory and Technical, Geoff Faulkner, and Peter Barfoot CBE, Founder and Chair of Barfoots.

Horticulture focus 

The group of five parliamentarians were talked through the biggest issues facing the horticulture industry, and learnt how Barfoot’s produces a sustainable, year-round, supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for the UK market.

These issues include difficulty getting planning approval for the infrastructure required for horticulture businesses to grow, as well as supply chains and supermarkets, seasonal worker visas and ELMs (Environmental Land Management) schemes.

Secure labour supply essential  

Discussion during the visit also focused on how integral seasonal workers are to the running of the farm – from those who pick produce in the fields, to Barfoots’ packaging and logistics teams.  The group heard from the team at Barfoots and Martin Emmett on how access to labour continues to limit the growth of the horticulture sector.

The ending of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme in 2013 and Freedom of Movement following the UK’s exit from the European Union in 2020 have both made accessing labour increasingly difficult and has resulted in some horticulture businesses closing all together. The group heard how this difficulty is being worsened as the number of visas available for the Seasonal Workers Scheme is not announced until late in the calendar year, making it difficult for horticulture businesses know how many staff they will be able to employ.

Water management 

Also imperative to Barfoots food-production operations is access to water, particularly as the hot, dry weather of summer returns. As part of the visit, MPs toured a Barfoots’ newest (and largest) reservoir and heard how this has dramatically reduced Barfoot’s reliance on abstraction licenses from public waterways, which in times of drought, can often be difficult.

Sustainability of business on display 

MPs also learnt about how sustainable Barfoots farming operation is. The group was shown the farm’s anaerobic digester, which converts waste material from the business – for example the husk from producing and packaging sweetcorn – into energy which powers the entire site operations at Sefton Farm. Barfoots also cleans its waste water in order to use it for irrigation.

Food and Farming Fellowship

The NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship Scheme showcases the industry to MPs and provides the opportunity to better their understanding of UK farming and food. It launched in 2024 in collaboration with ABP UK, AIC, Arla Foods, Barfoots, BEIC and FareShare.

Julian Marks, Group CEO at Barfoots, said: “Barfoots is at the sharp end when it comes to climate change, the effects of geopolitical events and changing sentiment towards farming and food production.

“Engaging with parliamentarians from across the political spectrum enables us to showcase the work we are doing to protect and enhance the environment while putting healthy nutritious vegetables onto plates every day. It was a pleasure to show this highly engaged group of MPs around our operations.”

L-R: NFU National Horticulture and Potatoes Board Chair Martin Emmett; John Milne MP (Lib Dem, Horsham); Ben Goldsborough MP (Lab, South Norfolk); Brian Mathews MP (Lib Dem, Melksham and Devizes); Josh Fenton-Glynn MP (Lab, Calder Valley); Chris Bloore MP (Lab, Redditch); Julian Marks – Group CEO at Barfoots; Peter Barfoot – Chair and Founder of Barfoots;