Rural communities feel misunderstood, neglected and disrespected by politicians, we will change that - Steve Reed
In the early 20th century, facing an explosion in population growth, Britain faced food shortages. But farmers collaborated with scientists and yields increased. During the Second World War, food from our farmers sustained the war effort.
In the following decades, armed with new technologies, farming became more productive than ever before. In just a few generations, many parts of the sector adopted automation and precision farming. And embraced technology and innovation - from robotic milking to genetic breeding.
Faced with global supply shocks during the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine War, farmers grew the food that kept us fed. The sector has continually evolved and changed, to make sure one thing remained constant: through thick and thin, farmers have produced the food that feeds the nation.
Today, we stand on the edge of an unprecedented global transition. Food security is national security but we face new challenges. Leaving the European Union was undoubtedly the biggest change for British farming for generations, moving away from the Basic Payment Scheme that simply paid for the land farmed, to our Environmental Land Management Schemes that pay for actions that support sustainable food production.
We’re experiencing more frequent and severe flooding and droughts as the climate changes, affecting yields and, vitally, profits. We’re seeing increasing pressures and competing demands on our land. Geopolitical events such as Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine are damaging global supply chains, causing costs of fertilisers and energy bills to soar.
When farmers came to protest in Westminster last year, it wasn’t just about tax. Too many rural communities feel misunderstood, neglected and disrespected by politicians over many, many years. Farms are battling volatile input costs and tight margins. Imbalances in the supply chain are preventing fair returns for the food farmers produce. A shortage of skilled workers is putting the brakes on growing farm businesses. Farmers spend long hours in the fields, followed by an evening of paperwork. There are growing concerns about more extreme weather. The promised continuing access to European markets after Brexit was broken. Other trade deals have undercut British farmers. The straws are piling up and up – and the camel’s back is close to breaking.
The last few months in particular have not been easy. You’ve heard it before, but the £22bn pound black hole left by the Conservatives was bigger than anybody could have expected. The previous Government is being investigated by the Independent Office for Budget Responsibility – which they set up – for covering up the true state of public finances. Our planning in opposition was done without knowledge of a hidden financial black hole greater than the cost of the entire police service in England and Wales. It meant we had to take immediate tough decisions across the economy to balance the books, including on APR. We were shocked by the size of the black hole we were left to fill.
Looking to the future, I will be frank about what’s coming down the line, delivering the news, good and bad, as and when it comes. I want our farming sector to succeed. I want it to be sustainable – financially and environmentally. I know we can only get there by working together in partnership.
An abridged version of a speech by Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, at the 2025 Oxford Farming Conference.