As many of you may know, last year I put forward legislation in the Senedd with the objective of protecting sustainable food here in Wales.

Unfortunately, despite having overwhelming support from a wide range of stakeholders, the proposal was voted down by Labour and the Liberal Democrat.

The Welsh Government Minister at the time said that the Welsh Government would look to work towards many of the objectives of the bill and support our food security, however very little has come of that.

Last month it was revealed that 34 per cent of adults in Wales are classified as obese, the worst levels in the United Kingdom and higher than originally thought.

For many people, this isn’t just a matter of eating less, its having access to better, healthier and locally sourced food.

It is therefore vital that the Welsh Government does not lose sight of the importance of healthy and sustainable food here in Wales.

While I am pleased that the Future Generations Commissioner has committed to taking forward the issue of food security, more work needs to be done by Ministers in Cardiff Bay.

It is clear that little progress has been made in creating a food system with sustainable, local food at its core.

A more holistic approach to the food system here would go some way to addressing many of the health and societal issues here in Wales.

When we look to buy local produce, we eat healthier, we support local businesses and we help reduce our carbon emissions.

So what can the Welsh Government do?

For starters, we need good targets to underpin any policy making when it comes to food sustainability.

We also need better data gathering to inform the whole debate as to what food we need, what food is grown and where it is grown here in Wales.

With this data we can help transform our rural economy, ensuring that the Welsh Government works with farmers to provide a sustainable model of food security.

I hope that the Welsh government will begin to take this matter seriously, and work with me and members of the farming community in order to ensure that Wales has the healthy, sustainable food system we so desperately need.