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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of permaculture and sustainable intensification techniques on long-term economic growth in the agricultural industry.

Defra has not undertaken specific research into the effectiveness of permaculture techniques but the principles of permaculture are reflected in our current research programme. We are investing £4 million over three years in research through the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform to improve the environmental and economic performance of farming. The platform is due to conclude in November and its findings will be used to inform policy development.