CLA supports calls for improved food security

CLA North Regional Director Dorothy Fairburn

The CLA has welcomed recommendations to improve food security in a report published on the 1 July by the House of Commons Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

CLA North Regional Director Dorothy Fairburn said: “Our changing climate is likely to reduce the availability of productive agricultural land so every hectare will need to produce more.

“We need to be able to produce more food to feed a growing population and we welcome the positive stance in today’s report on innovation and technology, particular on GM. As the report rightly states, the EU decision making process is too restrictive and will leave the UK and the EU trailing behind the rest of the world.

“The report supports our view that farmers should have access to longer term weather forecasts to enable better preparation for extreme weather. The anticipated reduction in summer river flows could severely restrict availability of water for food production, which would have a devastating economic impact on food businesses.”

The CLA is backing the call made in the report for a more co-ordinated approach to food security within UK government.

Miss Fairburn said: “Producing sufficient food to feed our growing population is a huge challenge and it is encouraging to see the committee identify that there is much more that can be done to achieve better yields.

“More sustainable farming will only be possible through a more equitable share of risk and profit along the food supply chain, rather than farmers being continually squeezed.”