Campaigners have warned that the government's planned poultry sector growth plan poses a risk to national security. The environment secretary, Emma Reynolds, recently stated at the Groundswell agriculture festival that boosting food security requires consuming more homegrown produce, leading to the establishment of the Farming and Food Partnership Board, which includes industry leaders like the president of the National Farmers' Union and the chief executive of the Food & Drink Federation.
Government's Push for Poultry Growth
Reynolds said, “I would like to see us use different levers of the state and use the board to really boost the level of food production in the UK.” In a parliamentary committee hearing, she identified planning constraints as a major barrier to expanding the poultry sector. The Guardian previously reported that ministers are rewriting planning rules to facilitate intensive livestock farms, despite concerns over water pollution, air quality, and local opposition.
Criticism from Campaign Groups
Ruth Westcott, campaign manager at Sustain, argued that intensive poultry farming is resource-intensive, polluting, and inefficient, and cannot solve food security. Sustain and Communities Against Factory Farming (CAFF) are urging the government to abandon the poultry growth plan and focus on homegrown proteins like pulses, legumes, nuts, and beans. Maya Pardo, CAFF campaign lead, noted that the government's own national security assessment warns that animal farming at current levels is unsustainable without imports, with soy from South America making up 18% of produced animal feed. She highlighted that reliance on imports leaves the UK vulnerable to supply chain shocks and ecosystem collapse, which is a national security issue.
Broader Food Security Concerns
The government's farming roadmap, released last month, outlines a long-term vision for the sector over 25 years, emphasizing food security amid geopolitical instability, climate crisis, environmental degradation, and supply chain disruptions. It warned of potential severe food price shocks and, in extreme situations, reduced availability of certain foods. This echoes a recent report by UK national security officials, which warned of severe threats from climate crisis and ecosystem collapse, with food shortages and economic impacts potentially just years away.
Industry and Expert Reactions
Harriet Bell, regenerative farming lead at Riverford, welcomed planning reform that helps farmers invest in reservoirs, renewable energy, and polytunnels, but cautioned that reform must not become a free pass for developments harming water systems, biodiversity, or animal welfare. She emphasized that nature-friendly farming can sustain or enhance food production while building resilience. Tim Benton, professor of population ecology at the University of Leeds, stated that food security will soon become the organizing principle for agricultural policy. He urged the government to recognize that in an increasingly volatile world, events are happening continuously, requiring a shift from a risk register focused on pinpointing specific events.
