The government has published the long anticipated Land Use Framework, which aim to balance the demand for land for new homes, nature restoration, clean energy and food security.

DEFRA’s analysis suggests there is enough land to deliver the government’s objectives provided we use land more efficiently and for multiple benefits, and the framework highlights growing competition for land whilst extreme weather events, both floods and droughts - are having a growing impact on agriculture.  The framework makes a commitment to maintain food production in England, at the same time as supporting farmers to diversify and remain profitable in the face of extreme weather and market shocks. 

Greater Lincolnshire broadly welcomes the development of a Land Use Framework and its commitment to safeguard the Best and Most Versatile (BMV) land for agriculture, as well as the commitment to set out sector visions for poultry and horticulture, both products in which Greater Lincolnshire leads the UK.  The area also welcomes the fact that the framework does not attempt to tell farmers what should happen, because as custodians of their farms and land, farmers are best placed to make these decisions.

The Greater Lincolnshire Forum for Agriculture and Horticulture and UK Food Valley look forward to working with government to create the detailed plans the framework calls for, and is keen to promote the following areas in this process:

  • The modelling which underpins the framework assumes farm output stays the same, but on less land.  With yield growth stagnating for many crops in recent decades, both in the UK and globally, there is a need to develop more detailed plans for how this can be delivered.  At its heart has to be more investment in agritech, which Greater Lincolnshire has championed for over a decade, as well as commitment to help farmers adopt new technology on farm.
  • Food production is critical to the wider economy, because for every job in agriculture we have a further 5 in the pre consumer supply chain (not including food retail and catering).  Maintaining food production, but with a much higher output where the UK is very dependent on imports to meet current demand, is important to Greater Lincolnshire’s economy which is the most focused on food production in England.
  • Recent years have shown that global supply chains can be easily disrupted, and the UK Food Valley would like to see the commitment to food security go further, with an ambition to increase UK sourcing.  All the evidence shows this is supported by industry, supermarkets who are setting up long term supply contracts with UK farms to secure future supplies, and by consumers who consistently report wanting more UK sourced food.

The Land Use Framework is a positive step, but we now need to work together with government to explore how we can deliver practical actions to at least maintain, and preferably expand, UK food production in an uncertain world.  To find out more about the Land Use Framework please visit: New plans to reshape how we protect and manage our land - GOV.UK