Extreme weather events and increased demand for foodstuffs from emerging economies such as China need DEFRA leadership to guarantee the UK’s long-term food security, say MPs.

Launching a report on the food production and supply dimensions of food security, Anne McIntosh, Chair of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said:

"Complacency is a genuine risk to future UK food security. If we want our food production and supply systems to be secure, Government and food producers must plan to meet the impacts of climate change, population growth and increasing global demand for food."

Anne McIntosh called for clearer lines of UK governmental responsibility:

"At least three Departments are now responsible for food security—Defra, BIS and DECC.  To ensure coherent planning and action, overall strategy must be led by Defra, who must ensure a robust approach right across Whitehall."

The Food Security report supports the idea of "sustainable intensification"—producing more food with fewer resources—and calls on Defra to stem decline in UK self-sufficiency and deliver more resilience in the UK food system. It notes that for key cereal crops, for example wheat, yield levels have not increased for over 15 years.

The UK is currently 68% self-sufficient in foods which can be produced at home, but this key indicator has declined steadily over the past 20 years, from 87%. The report says the biggest long-term challenge to food production systems is the impact of extreme weather events resulting from climate change.

The report calls for:

• Supermarkets to shorten supply chains to reduce threats of disruption;
• UK farmers to extend seasonal production of fresh fruit and vegetables in coordination with the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board, and local and central Government;
• Government to reduce dependence on imported soybean for animal feed, as increased demand for protein from emerging economies threatens current supply lines; and
• Government to produce a detailed emissions reduction plan for the UK agricultural sector.

Anne McIntosh adds:

"If we are to curb emissions and adjust to climate change, we need a significant shift in how the UK produces food. For instance, livestock production contributes 49% of farm-related emissions, so we need more research to identify ways to curb this. Farmers also need better longer-term weather forecasts and more resilient production systems to be able to cope with severe weather events such as the floods that devastated the Somerset levels last winter."

The Committee welcomes the Government’s new £160 million AgriTech Strategy to translate technological ideasinto farm practice but warns that current funding levels are insufficient. It cites precision farming technologies as an example of good research, but one that needs commercial partners to make it viable.

The Committee says the Government must lead a public debate to counter food safety fears among consumers about GM foods. The Government must also ensure a more evidence-based approach to EU licensing of GM crops.

The Government must also intensify its efforts to get new farmers into the sector, to ensure that farming has a future in the UK.