There was cross party consensus throughout the debate that food security is national security. The agriculture budget is essential to investing in the farming and growing businesses that underpin the future of food and deliver for the environment.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “As we saw in the debate, food is not partisan. It should not be a kicked around like a rotten pumpkin. The farming and growing businesses that produce food need long-term certainty so they can plan and invest for the future. The number one way to do this is to ensure we have a strategy to boost Britain’s food security, and this must be invested in and supported by an increased agriculture budget.”
During the debate:
- Defra Secretary Steve Reed reiterated that “farming and food security are the foundations of our economy, our communities and indeed our environment.”
- Shadow Defra Secretary Steve Barclay pressed that “if we don’t support our farmers now, many farm businesses say they’re unlikely to survive.”
- Liberal Democrat Efra spokesperson Tim Farron MP highlighted how farmers are “utterly invaluable in the fight against climate change.”
Mr. Bradshaw continued: “Over the first 100 days of this new government and ahead of the election, British farmers and growers have experienced a period of policy paralysis as they wait – surrounded by flooded fields and failed crops – for news of promises to reset the government’s relationship with British farming and invest in its future. This must start with all departments across Whitehall creating policies that assess the impact on our nation’s ability to feed itself, as well as take advantage of growth export markets and trade.
“High costs, record inflation, low farm returns and the persistent bad weather has resulted in a collapse in farmer confidence, which is at its lowest level since records began. This October budget is key to delivering certainty to our food producing businesses, food security and environmental targets, all of which contribute to the government’s missions for growth and prosperity.
“The Chancellor recently held an ‘I’m backing British farming’ sign at our Labour Party conference stand. The Defra Secretary Steve Reed said at our Back British Farming Day parliamentary reception he was ‘making the case to Treasury to maximise support for farmers’. And the Food Security Minister Daniel Zeichner has been on farm six times in the last 100 days. There are countless examples of the government showing they value British farming, but these gestures and warm words must now be backed up by policy action.
“We’re at a tipping point in British farming, the bedrock of the industry that contributes £148 billion to the economy and provides 4.2 million jobs1. It is vital the government recognises this on the 30th October and give farmers and growers the confidence needed to invest in the future and deliver on our joint ambitions for growth, food security and the environment.
“That is why we’re asking the government to back British farming by delivering a renewed multi-year annual agriculture budget of £5.6 billion2, the majority of which is needed to deliver the government’s environmental goals, with the remainder looking to drive productivity and support the economic stability of farm businesses, all supporting the health and wellbeing of our nation.
“Now is the time to make our voices heard. I urge all members to use our campaigning letter template3 to write to their MP to tell them why the agriculture budget is so important to their businesses. It’s vital we show that this is an issue that affects farmers across the whole of the country.”
More information
- The food and drink sector is the UK’s largest manufacturing sectors, British farmers produce the raw materials that underpins the sector.
- The NFU commissioned the independent Andersons Centre to model the public funding needed to deliver statutory environment, climate and policy ambitions in England over the next Parliament. It showed an annual agriculture budget of around £4 billion would be required which would translate to a UK-wide budget of around £5.6 billion.
- The NFU’s letter template for members to sign can be found here.
- Read the Farming and Food Security debate here.