Abandoning Nature will cause ‘existential threat’ to food security, Natural England Chair warns

Building nature recovery into the centre of food production is the only way to put our society and economy on a sustainable footing, Natural England Chair Tony Juniper will tell businesses and the farming industry today (Monday 28 November). 

Speaking at Natural England’s Farming for Food and Nature Conference in Birmingham, Tony Juniper will commend existing projects being carried out by farmers to help nature thrive while reminding them the future of agriculture is heavily reliant on a healthy environment – sufficient water resources, healthy soils and pollinating insects.  

Emphasising the importance of food production and nature as a partnership, Tony Juniper is expected to say:  

“It’s sometimes said that you can’t go green if you’re in the red. There is of course some truth in this, but it also implies what is a false choice, through presenting food production and Nature as alternatives rather than essential partners. Indeed, I’d say the reverse is actually more true: that is, that farm businesses can’t stay in the black for long if Nature is in the red.  

“The false choice has appeared more plausible and has been magnified in the clamour to intensify agricultural output following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with some commentators claiming we need to prioritise food security over Nature in order to maintain food supplies.

“It is right for questions to be asked about the extent to which making more space for species and habitats will mean less space for farming, but it is also vital that we find answers based on evidence and rooted in reality.

“When we do that then it is clear that we must, and can, do both – restoring Nature while also feeding ourselves. Agriculture is the economic sector most directly reliant on a healthy environment. Stable climate, sufficient water, pollinating insects, healthy soils and natural pest control are among the assets that render farming viable, and the more we protect those, the more we enhance food security.”

Stressing that nature and food production must “go hand-in-hand”, he will demonstrate the need for urgent action on nature recovery. This comes after England’s newest National Nature Reserve was declared at Ennerdale in the Lake District.

He will highlight the importance of the Government delivering on the ambitions that is has set out through its Environmental Land Management scheme that will see farmers paid for work that enhances the environment, such as tree planting, reversing soil degradation or creating new habitats for wildlife.

He will say:

“The Government’s new Environmental Land Management (ELM) policy is seeking to achieve a stronger positive relationship between food and Nature and presents an opportunity for farming to accelerate that country-wide transformation.

“Right across the country they have been investing their time and energy since the very first iteration of land management schemes some 35 years ago set out to deliver more for Nature in partnership with those farmers, many of them working small family businesses. In fact today the number of agri-environment scheme agreements stands at more than 45,000, stretching across two thirds of England.

“It is important that we don’t forget how important this has been and will be into the future. For the new schemes to be a success we must build upon the good work that farmers have been putting in place for many decades, from targeted action for farmland birds to better management of water courses.

“This is about the intelligent use of the land that we have to produce multiple benefits, food for sure, but also carbon capture, flood risk reduction, wildlife recovery and beautiful landscapes.”

Tony will also demonstrate how farmers are ready to deliver both sustainable food production and the protection and enhancement of Nature and the environment. He will say:

“All of this would help to make the most of farmers’ unparalleled sense of place – and pride in that place. Many trace their family connections to the land not in decades, but centuries.

“In the past their pride in connection to the land would rest on the quality and quantity of their crops and livestock. Many now derive equal pride in other things that the land must also provide and a newly refreshed Countryside Stewardship scheme could really thrive if aligned with those connections to the land, farmers’ pride in it and their willingness to do better for Nature.

“None of this is, however, about nostalgia for a bygone age. It is very much about rising to meet modern challenges. Technology will be, and is already, vital in combining Nature recovery with sustainable food production. I have been struck by the huge potential that comes with precision methods, with crops planted, monitored and harvested in a much cleaner, smarter and less disruptive ways. It means higher yields can be achieved with fewer inputs, with less pollution and waste and with better soil quality and wildlife abundance and diversity among the results.”

Tony Juniper will speak at Natural England’s Farming for Food and Nature Conference from midday on Monday 28 November. He will also be joined by three farmers who will showcasing how they are already working sustainably and seeing positive results in terms of nature recovery and profitability.  

An expert panel will then discuss the challenges and opportunities that the industry faces. This will include Mark Coulman, Chair of the Tenant Farmers Association, Sarah Hendry, Director General of the Country and Land Business Association and Martin Lines, Chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network and Adele Jones, Executive Director of Sustainable Food Trust.