Standing Up for British Farming: Why Food Security is National Security.

​For too long, the backbone of our countryside has been treated as an afterthought. British farmers are the stewards of our land and the providers of our sustenanc are facing a perfect storm of soaring costs, botched trade deals, and a government that seems content to watch our food security crumble.

​The Liberal Democrats, believe that a country that cannot feed itself is a country at risk. In an increasingly unstable world, the neglect of our agricultural sector is not just a policy failure; it is a strategic disaster.

​A Continent Alone: The Crisis of Neglect

​The statistics are startling. While our neighbors across Europe and even within our own United Kingdom recognise the strategic necessity of food production, England is being steered into a dangerous isolation. We are currently in a position where only 55% of the food consumed in Britain is produced here.

​The Liberal Democrats believe that this reliance on volatile global markets is a gamble we cannot afford to take. 

​"England is now the only country in Europe that doesn't financially support its farmers to produce food. Surely Trump's conflict in the Middle East and Putin's invasion of Ukraine show how utterly vital our food security is?  The Government needs to wake up and back our farmers." — Tim Farron MP,  Spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

​Whether it is the ongoing aggression in Ukraine or the shifting geopolitical landscape in the Middle East, the message is clear: food security is national security, and we cannot take our dinner tables for granted.

​The Liberal Democrat Solution: A National Food Strategy

​The Liberal Democrats aren't just pointing out the problems; we have a clear, costed plan to fix them. Central to our vision is the Liberal Democrat National Food Strategy. This is a comprehensive roadmap designed to ensure food security, tackle rising prices, and support a transition to sustainable farming that doesn't leave producers behind.

​1. A £1 Billion Boost to the Farming Budget

​We have pledged to increase the farming budget by £1 billion a year. This isn't just a subsidy; it is an investment in our national resilience. This funding would accelerate the rollout of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, ensuring they are properly funded to reward farmers for their critical role in delivering "public goods."

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​2. Redefining "Public Goods" to Include Food

​While we support environmental stewardship, the current government has failed to recognize that food production is itself a public good. 

​"The best way to bring down food prices is to back British farmers and ensure everyone can get affordable, healthy and nutritious food, produced to high welfare and environmental standards."Daisy Cooper MP - Deputy Leader

​3. Ending the Era of Unfair Trade Deals

​The "botched" trade deals with Australia and New Zealand have been a betrayal of British farmers, allowing under-regulated imports to undercut our high-standard domestic produce. 

A Liberal Democrat approach would:

​Renegotiate or withdraw from trade deals that don't meet our high health, environmental, and animal welfare standards.

​Negotiate a comprehensive veterinary and plant health agreement with the EU to slash red tape and help our farmers export again.

​Building a Resilient Future

​Our commitment goes beyond the farm gate. We are fighting for a "Right to Food" in UK law and a strategy that aims to end food poverty within a decade. By investing in a Research and Innovation Fund for emerging agricultural technologies and providing local authorities with the power to monitor food production, we can build a food system that is both sustainable and secure.

​The choice is simple, we can continue down a path of "reckless" neglect, or we can choose to value our land and those who work it. The Liberal Democrats choose to stand with our farmers, for the sake of our countryside, our economy, and our national security.

Read the Liberal Democrats Food security plsn here: https://www.libdems.org.uk/food-security-paper