House of Commons · Westminster Hall
19 April 2023 · 5 other contributors · 3,562 words
Opened by Wendy Morton Con Aldridge-Brownhills
Responding minister: Mark Spencer
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Wendy Morton raised concerns about food security and farming in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
Ms. Morton asked the Minister about addressing the food waste issue, improving conditions for farmers, and ensuring a balance between development and protecting agricultural land while considering solar farm developments' impact on farming availability.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Ms. Morton expressed concern about the decline in food production-to-supply ratio since the mid-1990s, noting that investment and innovation can take time to deliver results. She highlighted rising food inflation of 19%, increased costs for fertiliser by 161%, and doubled red diesel prices. Additionally, she mentioned wasted fruit and veg due to a workforce shortage worth £22 million in 2022.
He congratulated the right hon. Friend on securing a debate about food security and farming, highlighting that with food inflation at 18%, taking grade 1 and 2 land out of production does not make sense.
She thanked her right hon. Friend for giving way, congratulating her on the debate and expressing the need for a more ambitious food and wine export strategy to promote brand Britain.
He thanked the right hon. Lady for securing the debate and highlighted the importance of beef and dairy farming in Strangford, expressing concern over the small print of the Windsor framework that disadvantages farmers.
She expressed concern over the loss of greenfield space in her constituency that could be used for residential development, agreeing with the importance of protecting locally grown products.
He thanked the right hon. Lady for bringing an important debate to the House, noting that in Westmorland, 100% of farmers will lose more than a third of their basic payment by the end of this year, leading some out of business and others to intensify farming. In the transition period, some farmers in Westmorland are finding it hard to access environmental schemes and may be considering giving up farming due to increased intensity requirements. He asks what actions the minister is taking to address this issue.
Government Response
Mark SpencerFarming is vital for communities, putting food on plates and caring for the environment. The Government is phasing out old subsidies and investing in policies that work for farmers, food production, and the environment. They have committed £600 million over three years to support productivity, welfare, and innovation. Grants are available through the future farming resilience fund, and tariffs on maize imports have been lowered to help with animal feed costs. The UK is resilient with 74% self-sufficiency in food production, including near-complete sufficiency in fresh poultry, vegetables, eggs, beef, milk, and lamb. They continue to monitor food security every three years as mandated by the Agriculture Act 2020. New farming schemes are being rolled out, such as the sustainable farming incentive, which includes additional management payments for environmental work and will be expanded this summer.