Former science minister in the previous government and MP for mid-Norfolk, George Freeman, has been confirmed as the new chair of the group.
MP for Bridlington and the Wolds, and former policy adviser at the NPA Charlie Dewhirst is the new vice chair, alongside dairy farmer and former shadow Efra minister Lord Grantchester, and vet and professor, Lord Trees.
The APPG works to ensure:
- the government's support for agri-science is maintained and strengthened
- that the regulatory environment is evidence-based and enabling
- that the contribution of modern agriculture to our society, economy and environment is valued and understood as widely as possible.
Strong working links needed
Following the re-constitution of the group in this new parliament, NFU science and regulatory affairs chief adviser, Dr Helen Ferrier, said: “This APPG is such a valuable part of the picture for enabling resilience, progress and innovation in farming.
“We are all advocates for science, research and technology being applied to agriculture and horticulture. But achieving a strong working link between the research that adds to the evidence base, and what happens in practice on farms, is really difficult.
“We must acknowledge that research funding for agriculture and horticulture over the past decade from Agritech Strategy, Industrial Strategy, Strategic Priorities Fund and Farming Innovation Programme has been significant. Some farming businesses have directly benefited through research projects, but it is a small proportion.
“My strong message to government is, if you put practical, enabling regulation in place for innovative tools and technologies, business investment will come.”
NFU science and regulatory affairs chief adviser, Dr Helen Ferrier
“What’s still missing is coordinated mechanism for enabling every farmer and grower to engage in some way with R&D and innovation by using insights from scientific evidence.”
Helen urged members of the group to consider a What Works Centre or Evidence for Farming Initiative, as recommended in the National Food Strategy, to help collect, curate, analyse, interpret, share and use findings from all kinds of research activity to improve decision-making and drive productivity and environmental delivery.
She called on the government, industry practitioners and science communities to work together to identify what farming needs from research, as the recent report from the Centre for Effective Innovation in Agriculture initiated.
Helen added: “My strong message to government is, if you put practical, enabling regulation in place for innovative tools and technologies, business investment will come.
“Research and Development intensive companies and investors operate globally. They want to invest, but the legislative system must be right. They are watching how the Precision Breeding Act is implemented, they are watching how the new Industrial Strategy can catalyse investment and how it links to regulation.
“They have the world to choose from and we want them to choose here.”
Unlocking the potential of agri-tech
On his return as chair of the APPG for a second time, Mr Freeman said making agri-science relevant to the new intake of MPs would be a “key priority” for the group, along with making the connection between agri-tech innovation and the concerns of their constituents, from ensuring food security and affordability for future generations to mitigating and tackling climate change, safeguarding clean water supplies, improving health and nutrition, and leaving more room for nature.
Mr Freeman also outlined plans for a Parliamentary showcase of agri-tech innovation in the New Year, to provide an opportunity for cutting-edge British innovators in digital agriculture, robotics, advanced crop and livestock breeding, vertical farming.
“As a Group, we are determined to do what we can to support and unlock the enormous potential of UK-based agricultural science and technology to deliver benefits for society,” he added.
