The next Prime Minister must prioritise effective food and farming policy
Whoever stands triumphant in front of 10 Downing Street next month must think seriously on the long-term solutions that will shore-up the UK's food supplies and in-turn, bring down prices at a time when millions are struggling, writes Dave Bench.
It's clear that the new Prime Minister is going to have a lot on their plate. In the UK, food security concerns are rising against a backdrop of increasingly dramatic weather events and drought. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have also exposed the fragility of the global food supply chain. The subsequent cost-of-living crisis is impacting families' ability to access safe and sustainable food at prices they can afford. These challenges require a forward-thinking and innovative approach to food and farming policy, that embraces agricultural technologies. The next Prime Minister has an important role in prioritising innovations that are safe and effective, to protect food and farming in the UK from the global challenges we face, and ensure that the benefits of Brexit can be unlocked.
Plant Protection Products (PPPs) are just one example of an innovation that can play a role in meeting the challenges outlined above. PPPs are an important part of Integrated Pest Management and ensure that farmers can produce consistent yields and support our domestic food security. Research carried out by agronomist Séan Rickard on behalf of CropLife found that that the average UK family grocery bill could rise by more than £786 over the course of a year, without the use of PPPs. Furthermore, the report found that the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables would rise by more than £4 per week, an extra £226 per year, without the use of PPPs – making it more costly to get your five-a-day.
There is often a misconception that farmers use PPPs even though they don't need to – but this is untrue. They are used to protect crops against the pests, weeds, and diseases that would otherwise cause farmers to lose between 30-40 per cent of food. PPPs are subject to the stringent regulation and all products have been subject to thorough assessments to prove they do not provide any threat to human health, animal health of the environment.
In fact, PPPs and other agricultural innovations, such as gene-editing and genetic modification provide farmers with the tools they need to reduce the environmental footprint of farming, support biodiversity and meet our growing food needs. With the UK's population expected to reach 69.2 million by the mid-2030s, it has never been more important that we embrace these methods.
The Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding Bill) is an important first step to taking a more science-based approach to the UK's regulation of plant-breeding techniques. It's the first step in the UK being able to re-join the mainstream of global agricultural innovation and break down the barriers inherited by the European Union, which held back the potential of the agricultural innovation industry in the UK. The Bill, whilst welcome, should go further and ensure that the sector can play its full role in the UK's ambition of reaching Net-Zero by 2050 and lead the global response to the climate crisis.
As the new Prime Minister takes up their position, and sets out the future vision for their party and this Government, a holistic approach to food and farming policy must sit at its heart. If not, the opportunities presented by Brexit will be missed, and agricultural innovation will not be able to play its full role in meeting the challenges that lie ahead for food security in the UK.
