The UK government must adopt an ambitious new strategy to increase domestic food production by 30% by 2050, MPs who sit on a committee say, according to a FarmingUK article.
With good soils, a temperate climate, a professional farming sector and a world-class agri-science base, Britain is said to be ‘well-placed’ to produce more food. But MPs warn that dependence on imports, such as wheat, is at its highest since records began 30 years ago.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture (APPGSTA) calls for UK food production to be boosted by 30% by 2050 while reducing farming’s environmental footprint by 50% – which they dub the ’30:50:50 vision’.
The All-Party Group’s chair, George Freeman MP said: “Potato production is at its lowest level for more than a decade, and Defra figures indicate that UK self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables, at 53%, is at its lowest since records began in 1988, while for fresh fruit we produce just 16% of our needs.”
According to Mr. Freeman, “…the group is launching its vision for an Innovation Agenda for UK Agriculture, as the start of a conversation which we hope will result in a more evidence-based approach to helping farmers to produce ‘more from less’.”
Source: FarmingUK. Read the full story here
Image: Credit FarmingUK
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