Former government minister and Conservative MP for Mid-Norfolk, George Freeman, has issued a stark warning about the future of UK agriculture, calling for an urgent shift in government policy to back agri-tech and invest in the sector as a key strategic industry. During a keynote address at the Croptec Show in Birmingham on 15 January, Mr Freeman painted a picture of an industry at risk of serious neglect, despite the UK’s global prowess in agricultural science and research.
As chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture (APPGSTA), Mr Freeman highlighted the UK’s impressive credentials, boasting 10 of the world’s top 30 research institutes. However, he cautioned that there is a significant disconnect between the academic work being carried out and real-world, on-farm innovation. This gap, he argued, is a critical issue that needs to be addressed to ensure the industry can meet future challenges.
Mr Freeman’s concerns are not merely academic. During his tenure as science minister, he was instrumental in the creation of the Government Agri-tech Strategy, which included the launch of Agrimetrics, the agri-tech catalyst fund, and regional hubs. Reflecting on these initiatives, he admitted that the scientists “stole” the money and took it back into the lab, underscoring the need for a more balanced approach. He envisioned a network of regional innovation farms where farmers could see firsthand what innovation looks like and how they could implement it.
The APPGSTA has long advocated for a 30:50:50 approach—producing 30% more food with 50% less environmental impact by 2050. However, recent figures from the think tank Science for Sustainable Agriculture reveal that the UK has lost 4.4% of its agricultural land area over the past 25 years, equivalent to 771,000 hectares. Mr Freeman warned that if current trends continue, the UK could lose 23% of its farmland by 2050, exacerbating the challenge of increasing production on a shrinking land area.
He criticized the lack of a policy framework that encourages, rewards, and supports farmers to deliver more with less. Instead, he argued, the policy over the past 20 years has been about delivering less with less, for less. Mr Freeman asserted that without a major policy reset, the entire industry is at risk. He cautioned that the government’s current trajectory could lead to the shutdown of family farms, the loss of a great industry, and a significant inward investment and export opportunity. Moreover, it would leave the UK vulnerable to food security shocks—a scenario he described as a “pretty serious list of things you don’t want to happen.”
Mr Freeman’s call to action underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive policy overhaul that supports agri-tech innovation and invests in the future of UK agriculture. As the industry faces mounting pressures, the stakes could not be higher. The question now is whether the government will heed this warning and take the necessary steps to secure the future of one of the UK’s most vital sectors.