The UK’s food and agriculture research council, BBSRC, which allocates public funding to new scientific projects has set out its new strategic framework Agriculture and Food Security (AFS)

Launched on Thursday, the new framework will help researchers and stakeholders understand the key priorities which BBSRC hopes research can address. The research council said that, despite its influence, BBSRC cannot do everything and so the AFS framework highlights areas where the Council would like to see increased research activity.

Commenting on the strategy’s launch, Dr Paul Burrows, BBSRC Executive Director, Corporate Policy and Strategy said, “We are committed to our vision to encourage a whole food-systems approach for agriculture and food security research, to deliver productive, resilient and sustainable food and farming.

“The Agriculture and Food Security Strategic Framework will help to focus research to enhance UK and global food security and help provide essential knowledge and evidence to farmers, food producers, processors, retailers, consumers and governments.”

Areas of research where the council is looking to focus its work include moves to make farming more sustainable and resilient, improve crops and farm animals (including welfare), increase the nutritional quality and safety of food, reduce waste, support smart technology and precision agriculture and exploit genetic diversity.

A report published earlier this month by three of the UK’s foremost food and farming experts warned that, because there is no Government vision for UK food or agriculture, the UK faces huge shocks as a result of Brexit. The report’s authors warned that prices, quality, supply and the environment will all be adversely affected even with a ‘soft’ Brexit.

Amongst the “enormous implications” of Brexit, the researchers noted that, “To leave the EU would sever the UK from many bodies which underpin food – from scientific advisory bodies to regulators, from research programmes to subsidies to regions. What is going to replace these? There is silence from Defra and the Government.”

BBSRC’s Framework can be viewed here.