Reynolds: Farmers central to Britain’s food security, rural economy and countryside

Farmers and food businesses will have a stronger voice at the heart of government through a new Farming and Food Partnership Board, launched today (Thursday 18 December) to drive growth, productivity and long-term profitability across the sector.

Chaired by Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, with Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle as deputy, the Board will bring together senior leaders from farming, food production, retail, finance and government to take a practical, partnership-led approach from farm to fork to strengthen our food production.

It comes as the government publishes Baroness Minette Batters' independent Farming Profitability Review, which highlights the need for closer collaboration between farming, industry and government, and greater clarity and certainty for farm businesses looking to grow and invest.

While the government will respond to the Review's findings, action is already under way to give farm businesses the stability they need to plan ahead and invest.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

When farming thrives, the whole country benefits. British farmers are central to our food security, our rural economy and the stewardship of our countryside.

Baroness Batters' Review underlines the need for government, farming and the food industry to work much more closely together. That is exactly what the new Farming and Food Partnership Board will do.

This is about serious action to remove barriers, unlock investment and make the food system work better, so farm businesses can grow, invest and plan for the future with confidence.

Baroness Minette Batters said:

I want to thank all those that have responded to the Farm Profitability Review and I encourage everyone to read the Review in full.

I'm pleased that the Secretary of State recognises the need to establish a new approach to growing the British brand at home and abroad by producing, creating and selling more from our farms in a measurable way.

With ever more extreme weather, the horrific, ongoing war in Ukraine and 69.7 million people in the UK now is the time to deliver food security as national security.

The Board will focus on removing barriers to investment, improving how the supply chain works and unlocking growth opportunities across different parts of primary production and processing. It will have a clear emphasis on supporting agricultural productivity, homegrown British produce and strengthening food security.

But the Board will not take a one size fits all approach. It will focus on sector plans where there are clear opportunities to boost productivity, starting with horticulture and poultry, where there is significant untapped potential to increase homegrown production.

Alongside the launch of the Board, ministers are setting out immediate actions to back farm businesses, including:

• Unlocking food and farming infrastructure through planning reform, working with MHCLG to make food production a clearer priority in the planning system. Proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced this week will help speed up delivery of key infrastructure such as on-farm reservoirs, greenhouses, polytunnels and farm shops, making it easier for farmers to invest and expand.
• Stepping up action on supply chain fairness, including continued scrutiny of unfair practices and consideration of changes to Groceries Code Adjudicator oversight.
• Tackling barriers to private finance, bringing together farmers, agri-food businesses and major financial institutions to attract investment into farm transformation and productivity
• Supporting exports and new markets, with ministers leading dedicated trade missions in 2026 to showcase British food and drink overseas.

The government response to the Farming Profitability Review will be set out through the new 25-Year Farming Roadmap, due for publication next year, providing long-term clarity on the direction of travel for the sector.

Today's announcements form a core part of the government's overall food strategy. They back British farming, strengthening food security and supporting profitable, resilient farm businesses for the long term.

Notes to editors:

• The objective of the Farming and Food Partnership Board will be to strengthen food production at home and ensure government policy delivers real change for farmers. It will complement the work of the Food Strategy Advisory Board (FSAB), who have been advising on various matters, including growth, as part of their broader work to kickstart systems change across the entire food chain.
• The Review makes 57 recommendations to improve long term profitability, productivity, resilience and investment across farming.
• The Farming Roadmap will set out a 25-year vision for the farming sector and the pathway to deliver it.
• A government response to the Review will be included as part of the Farming Roadmap, following further engagement with the sector.