Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen the development of agroecology across the UK; and if she will withdraw her support of the G7 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition to provide more resources for agroecology enhancement.

Defra is investing £4million over three years in research through the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform to improve the environmental and economic performance of farming. This includes exploring the role of agro-ecological practices as part of innovative farming systems.

Support is also available for UK farmers to adopt environmentally beneficial practices through agri-environment schemes.

The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is a multi-donor, multi-stakeholder initiative and operates in ten developing countries. In the UK Government, DFID is leading on our engagement with the programme.