Interview

One minute interview

Jeanette Longfield is director of Sustain

What is the campaign about?

Our ‘mission statement’ (devised in the days when everyone had to have one) says: ‘Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.’ We represent over 100 national public interest organisations, and are independent from the agri-food industry.

How long have you been going?

Since 1999 – before that we were two separate alliances that had been around since the mid-1980s. The National Food Alliance focused on consumer and nutrition-related issues, and the SAFE Alliance campaigned more on agricultural and environmental topics. As both alliances were – on paper – supposed to be about integrated and holistic approaches, we thought we’d better practice what we preached, so we merged.

Who is involved?

Anyone who’s anyone in agriculture and food! Our membership list reads like a directory of every farming and food organisation you’ve ever heard of, plus a lot of smaller ones that deserve more public attention but usually don’t get it.

Your biggest success?

The Organic Targets campaign. Sustain facilitated a huge coalition of organisations that put pressure on the government to set a target for organic farming and food in the UK and to develop an action plan to meet those targets. In little under three years, we won! Government now has an ‘organic action plan’ and, by 2010, the proportion of the organic market supplied by UK producers should have risen from the current 30 per cent to 70 per cent.

Your biggest failure?

For more than 10 years we’ve been trying to protect children’s health by asking government to ban ‘junk’ food advertising. The number of national organisations agreeing with us is already over 80-strong and rising, but government remains unmoved – despite the fact that obesity among children is now said to be reaching ‘epidemic’ proportions. Worse still, government is now repeating the industry line that childhood obesity is all down to lack of exercise and nothing to do with the copious amounts of ‘junk’ children are eating and drinking.

Your most immediate concern?

Right now, at the beginning of June, the ‘public debate’ on genetically modified food looks like being a complete fiasco. Organisations as diverse as the Consumers Association and Greenpeace agree that the process has been botched by DEFRA. Some think this is deliberate – that government simply doesn’t want to hear public views, as they’re sure they’ll be negative. Others think it’s simply government chaos. Either way, the public – whether pro- or anti-GM – are short-changed.

What would help the most in achieving your ends?

Money! I get angry when policy makers say consumer and other campaigning groups lack ‘resources’. These organisations are the most resourceful I know – it’s cash we lack.

And how can readers get in touch?

Look at www.sustainweb.org to get details of all our campaigns, publications, members, links. Or write to us at: Sustain, 94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF.