THE “shortage of great British broccoli and cauliflowers” occasioned a debate raised in the House of Lords last week by the Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith.
His main concern was “climate degradation” and its impact on the agricultural economy, notably in relation to locally grown vegetables. He wished to “pay tribute to all farmers and those involved in associated industries for their hard work, their dedication, their resilience, and the critical services they provide to us all as they produce food. We must not take them for granted.”
‘They thrive in wet conditions’
Turning to what he termed “the escalation of threats to climate security”, Bishop Smith described the agricultural industry as a “vast field of opportunity . . . a major contributor of economic growth, representing an opportunity to put the UK at the front and centre of innovative, sustainable, and future-thinking policy solutions. Farmers are uniquely placed to solve some of the most pressing challenges we face when it comes to climate change.”
He reminded the Lords of his debate last October on the effects of flooding on farming (News, 18 October 2024), and how climate instability everywhere meant that supplies could not necessarily be supplemented by foreign imports. Many of Spain’s crops had been devastated by the floods there, he explained, and, cumulatively, this contributed to rising levels of global food insecurity.
In the UK, “September 2024 saw farmers face collective losses of around £600 million following what emerged as one of the worst harvests on record.” He emphasised the need “for innovation and investment”, and referred to successful examples in his own diocese. “Resilient agriculture is sustainable agriculture.”
A number of Conservative peers made points on industry shortages, drainage systems, technology, diets, exports, tariffs, and taxes. Lord Effingham challenged the Government with the recent assertion by the supermarket chain Tesco that “the UK’s future food security is at risk due to the farmers’ tax,” which, with National Insurance hikes, was a “double whammy”, he said, in addition to extreme weather events.
Responding officially, Lord Leong (Labour) gave the assurance that “strengthening food security by supporting our farmers and food producers is a top priority for this Government.” He continued: “Although industry does not see an immediate issue with broccoli and cauliflower supply, we will continue to monitor this risk closely,” and he underlined the Government’s £5-billion funding pledge to farming over the next two years — “the largest ever investment directed at sustainable food production in our country’s history” — along with “a 25-year farming road map to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come”.
He spoke of the “shared responsibility” for adapting to climate change through building resilience and fostering innovation, and concluded with thanks to Bishop Smith “for securing this important debate”.