My interest in the environment, food and rural affairs is ingrained. I suggest this would be true for most of us. You can’t grow up in West Cornwall and not feel an intrinsic connection to these critical issues. In fact, there is no divorcing ourselves of the importance of the environment and food and there is no denying the contribution the countryside makes to each part of the UK. This week MPs have to choose the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee which has a significant role to play as MPs wrestle with rising food prices, food insecurity, climate change and related challenges such as flooding in urban and rural areas and loss of biodiversity. Having left the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy, MPs and Government ministers are now entirely responsible for ensuring our farmers and fisheries can run viable sustainable businesses that put nutritious food on our tables, and I know from West Cornwall and Scilly that food production and protecting and enhancing the environment can be compatible.
It is time for Government to take full advantage of this new freedom – it should be much more ambitious in setting targets for food production, cutting red tape and using environmental land management funds to protect and enhance productive land - making sure that public money is only used for the public good. In fact, with pressure on global food supplies we have an increased responsibility to produce more of the food we need, and the Government should supercharge food production with equal enthusiasm it has demonstrated for clean energy production. This is achievable - farmers stand ready to increase production but many are likely to sow less, rear less and produce less because of concerns about the future. We need to give them the support they need for sake of each one of our constituents who depend on the food they produce.
The difficulty facing members of the select committee is that issues that focus our work are not restricted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Education is critical to providing our young people with an understanding of the natural environment or to entice them into a career in farming or fishing for example. The Home Office holds the power regarding access to foreign labour and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is critical to most rural affairs. Other departments hold responsibilities that can further help or hinder matters. EFRA’s work (and I have put my name forward as a candidate for Chair) must be relevant and responsive to these challenges. The committee must use every tool in the box to hold Government to account to improve legislation, support those involved in the environment, food production and rural affairs and to ensure the UK is a world-leader for all the right reasons!
I’m looking forward to the Platinum Jubilee celebrations planned for next week. The Queen is a remarkable example of integrity and leadership and I hope the activities taking place around the country will bring comfort and cheer to Her Royal Majesty as she is reminded of her decades of service. I also hope that the celebrations taking place in towns and villages right across Cornwall and on Scilly will help us all to draw a line under the last two years and help our fantastic communities feel fully free and vibrant once again!
