Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Climate Change: Food Security

Thursday 4 September 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Matt Western raised concerns about the impact of climate change on UK food security, citing recent poor harvests and farmer hardships.
  • Rishi Sunak urged the Minister to support small-scale on-farm AD units to reduce methane emissions and lower costs for farmers.
  • Rachael Maskell requested a meeting to discuss the BioYorkshire project and its role in ensuring the future of farming through research and innovation.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington
Climate Agriculture & Rural Affairs
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.

Question

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?

Answer from The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or commitments for mitigating food price inflation beyond general reassurances.

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Q2 Rishi Sunak Con Richmond and Northallerton
Climate Agriculture & Rural Affairs
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.

Question

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?

Answer from The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Acknowledged the issue but did not provide specific steps or commitments for encouraging AD units beyond general reassurances.

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Q3 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
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.

Question

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?

Answer from The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Acknowledged the request but did not provide specific steps or commitments for meeting the BioYorkshire project beyond general reassurances.

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Q4 Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem Orkney and Shetland
Climate Agriculture & Rural Affairs
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.

Question

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?

Answer from The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: 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.

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