Climate Change Food Security 2025-09-04
2025-09-04
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
▸
Context
Climate change has led to extreme weather conditions affecting farmers, including floods and heatwaves. The UK's five worst harvests in the last five years highlight concerns about food security.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of climate change on food security. Three of the UK’s five worst harvests have been in the last five years, and this year is looking particularly concerning, with yields likely to be down and margins for farmers on the brink. Just last month, the Bank of England said that extreme weather is now one of the key factors in driving food price inflation. Could the Minister elaborate on what other steps the Government are taking to mitigate food price inflation for consumers?
My hon. Friend makes a very important point. Of course, consumer food prices depend on a wide range of factors, including agrifood import prices, agricultural prices in general, domestic labour and manufacturing costs, exchange rates, productivity and the extreme weather we have been seeing, which inevitably impacts growth and livestock feed supplies. I reassure the House that the UK has a very resilient food supply chain, and as our food security report shows, it is well equipped to meet these challenges.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific steps or commitments for mitigating food price inflation beyond general reassurances.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
▸
Context
A visit to the Dinsdale family farm highlighted their innovative installation of an anaerobic digestion unit, which turns slurry into energy. This has significant cost implications for other farmers wishing to replicate this.
Could he look at what more can be done to encourage small-scale on-farm AD units, which not only significantly cut methane emissions but significantly cut costs and increase income for our hard-working family farmers?
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I join him in commending the Dinsdale family for the work they do. I have spoken to a number of farmers who would very much like to do that. Of course, there is significant cost involved, and we are working with farmers to try to get the circular economy that we all want to see.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Acknowledged the issue but did not provide specific steps or commitments for encouraging AD units beyond general reassurances.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
▸
Context
Depletion of soil health, risk of disease, and climate change threaten food security over the long term. The BioYorkshire project brings together Fera Science, University of York, Askham Bryan College, and others to ensure research and translation in biotechnology.
Would the Minister be willing to meet the BioYorkshire project, which brings together Fera Science, the University of York, Askham Bryan College and others, to ensure we have the research and the translation and scaling of that to protect the future of farming?
I assure my hon. Friend that I have had numerous conversations with leading academics in her great city, and I would be happy to have further conversations along those lines.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Acknowledged the request but did not provide specific steps or commitments for meeting the BioYorkshire project beyond general reassurances.
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
▸
Context
Despite a commitment by the Scottish Government not to pursue a deliberate policy of reducing livestock numbers, livestock numbers in Scotland continue to fall. This has led to concerns about maintaining abattoirs, hauliers, vets and merchants across the UK.
If food security genuinely is national security, is now the moment to consider including within the remit of the Climate Change Committee the maintenance of food security?
The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point. We absolutely recognise that food security is national security. He is right about the decline in herd sizes, but of course, there are other aspects here: we have seen higher productivity and changed genetics. It is a complicated picture, but I am happy to have further discussions with him on that.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Acknowledged the importance of food security but did not provide specific steps or commitments for including it within the Climate Change Committee's remit beyond general reassurances.
Response accuracy