A Twin Threat: Climate and Political Division
Introduced by BFAWU National President Ian Hodson as a « courageous politician », Polanski opened his speech by tackling the toxic political landscape. He contrasted the Green vision of unity with the divisive politics of figures like Nigel Farage, stating that responsible politicians must bring people together rather than exploit discontent.
Turning to the core threat to food security, Polanski stated: « We have a huge problem, and that’s the climate crisis. The new normal is going to get worse and worse… the climate crisis is here to stay. »
A Year’s Worth of Bread Lost Since 2020
Food industry workers are on the frontlines of climate breakdown. Extreme weather—ranging from prolonged flooding to intense droughts—has left UK fields unworkable. The consequences are stark: since 2020, extreme weather has wrecked enough wheat harvests to bake 4 billion loaves of bread, representing a full year’s supply lost.
This agricultural crisis is already driving up the cost of living. Citing data from the Autonomy Institute, Polanski warned that fruit and vegetable prices could surge by 170% by 2050, with climate change becoming the single biggest driver of food inflation within the next fifteen years.
Suppressed Government Reports Exposed
The Green Party is aggressively challenging the government’s lack of preparedness. In Westminster, MP Adrian Ramsay recently challenged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to publish two suppressed official reports.
A suppressed DEFRA report warned that the UK’s food and water ecosystems face « catastrophic failure » by 2030 without transformational change. Similarly, a Joint Intelligence Committee report linked ecosystem collapse directly to national security threats. « There is nothing more serious than whether we are going to be able to feed ourselves », Ramsay stated during an LBC interview with Andrew Marr.
Time for Different Political Choices
Polanski emphasized that the current food system exploits workers and shortchanges farmers while supermarket executives and shareholders pocket record profits. He argued that this reality is a deliberate political choice that can—and must—be reversed.
The Green Party outlined a concrete roadmap for reform:
- A £15/hour minimum wage for all workers to combat the cost-of-living crisis.
- Free school meals for all primary and secondary school pupils.
- Direct support for farmers to transition toward climate-resilient agriculture.
- Tougher supermarket regulations to ensure fair pay for local growers.
« The system is not working… We must make different political choices, » Polanski concluded, reiterating the Greens’ commitment to challenging institutional power and transforming the status quo.
