Julian lobbies Minister on using science and Brexit freedoms to boost food security
May 30, 2022
Last Wednesday Julian met the Minister for Food and Farming Victoria Prentis to press her on the need for evidence-based policy to enable the use of cutting-edge science to support the production of nutritious, affordable food in the UK.
Growing global populations mean the world needs to increase food production by 70% by 2050, in a context where the resources available to do this with remain limited. The vulnerability of global supply chains has been demonstrated first by the pandemic and now by the ongoing Ukraine war. Current cost of living pressures are further evidence of the vital necessity of producing more food at home, to keep prices affordable and access secure.
Julian urged the Minister to facilitate British producers in utilising the latest science and innovations to produce more food from existing farmland, with new technology like carbon capture and gene edited crops allowing for this to be done while minimising environmental impacts. This is especially important for a region like North Yorkshire given its large agricultural sector and world-famous landscapes.
After the meeting, Julian said: “The Minister was receptive to my arguments, but I will continue pressing on this to ensure our city and region can benefit.
Current cost of living concerns added to the existing global food security challenge mean we must now fully embrace the new Brexit freedoms that allow us to set our own environmental and farming rules, and allow British producers to deploy the latest science and innovation to grow more healthy, affordable food, while preserving our natural heritage.”
