Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Agriculture: Sustainable Intensification and Metrics

22 February 2022 · 4 other contributors · 3,845 words

Opened by Julian Sturdy Con York Outer

Responding minister: Rebecca Pow

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Julian Sturdy raised concerns about agriculture: sustainable intensification and metrics in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The world needs to increase food production by 70% by 2050 due to population growth, climate change, and finite resources.
  • Julian Sturdy argues for a scientifically rigorous approach to sustainable agriculture to avoid a food security crisis.
  • Sturdy requests the government to clarify its stance on the global coalition for sustainable productivity growth and its position on EU and US agricultural strategies.

Key requests to Government

Sturdy asks the Minister to clarify whether the UK will sign up to the global coalition for sustainable productivity growth, explain where the UK stands in relation to the EU's farm-to-fork strategy versus the US approach, and commit to independent scientific scrutiny of the Sustainable Food Trust model. He also requests a joint roundtable with his all-party group to discuss robust metrics for sustainable agriculture.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Julian Sturdy Con York Outer

The world needs to increase food production by 70% by 2050 due to a rapidly growing population, climate change, and finite natural resources. Julian Sturdy is concerned that the UK's current approach to sustainable agriculture lacks scientific rigour and may lead to a food security crisis. He highlights the importance of using science and technology to enhance productivity on existing farmland while preserving land for nature conservation. The debate also touches upon gene editing regulations and the need for precision breeding tools.

Other contributors (4)
  • Anthony Mangnall

    I congratulate the hon. Member on his speech and agree with the points about land sparing and sharing, advocating for DEFRA's clarity in providing guidance to farmers for productivity alongside sustainability and environmentalism.

  • Jamie Stone Lib Dem Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross

    I express agreement with the hon. Member's points about sustainable farming, mentioning the issue of undercutting prices in today's market compared to the Milk Marketing Board era. I suggest that Brexit provides an opportunity for government support mechanisms.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    I declare an interest as a landowner and member of the Ulster Farmers' Union. I agree with the hon. Member for bringing this debate forward, noting that my constituency can yield three potato crops annually due to sustainable farming practices.

  • Tom Greatrex Lab Galloway and West Dumfries

    Tom Greatrex agrees on the importance of soils in agricultural metrics and suggests that the Minister might address this issue in her response. He emphasizes the need for a balance between food production, environmental protection, and innovation.

Government Response

Rebecca Pow

It is a pleasure to see Philip Davies in the Chair and I congratulate Julian Sturdy on bringing this subject forward. The minister for farming, fisheries and food, Victoria Prentis, would have been responding but she is at the National Farmers Union conference. Everything that I do as Environment Minister is science-led; we gather data and assessment to ensure evidence-based policy-making. Food production matters in the UK's levelling-up agenda with 60% of our food supply need produced locally and nearly 100% self-sufficient for certain products like poultry, eggs, and swedes. Producing sustainable, healthy food is linked to a healthy environment; DEFRA's agricultural transition plan is informed by evidence from world-leading UK research institutes and stakeholders including NGOs. We invest in new research on land use and agricultural systems with £75 million allocated to R&D in DEFRA sectors announced in the net zero strategy. The £90 million UKRI-led transforming food production challenge fund supports innovation, such as a fruit-scouting robot and alternative feed usage. We are moving away from reliance on chemical pesticides and investing in sustainable farming incentive standards and net zero strategy development. Evidence plays a critical role in policy programmes' evaluation and monitoring; we also engage with academia and the science community for robust evidence-based policies. DEFRA funds innovative research on sustainable intensification and agrifood protection via core agrifood research programmes, acknowledging that regenerative approaches might be more suitable for biodiversity value areas. The UK must ensure a resilient and clean water supply for agriculture while maintaining long-term food security through healthy soil, water management, and biodiverse ecosystems. We are conducting data gathering and closely working with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology on natural capital and ecosystem assessments.

▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy