While the SDC will continue to exist pending decisions on funding from the devolved governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland its role in England will be absorbed into the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The Welsh Assembly's minister for environment, sustainability and housing Jane Davidson was disappointed, but made no promises about funding the SDC beyond this financial year.
Jeanette Longfield, coordinator for Sustain, which promotes sustainability in the food chain, said the decision was political and had little to do with cutting costs, as it claimed. "This government's much-vaunted commitment to the environment is skin deep," said Longfield. "There is no evidence so far that [they] are listening to anything anybody is saying. They are too busy wielding the axe."
Meanwhile, The Food Ethics Council's executive director Tom MacMillan said: "There must be better ways of streamlining the public sector than simply cutting off the awkward bits. The SDC has proved itself an incredibly valuable watchdog, pulling government up for energy inefficiency and sleights of hand in environmental reporting. I can see why DEFRA might want rid of it, but it will be a false economy."
Will Day, chair of the SDC, said: "We await, with interest, the details of how a degree of cross-government independent scrutiny is to be achieved."
For details of Food Manufacture's conference: 'Sustainable food supply chain: what retailers expect of their suppliers', which will take place in London on November 29, call Rachael Cannon on 01293 610433.