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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on UK crop yields.

The Defra-funded Food, Farming & Natural Environment Climate Service develops evidence on climate adaptation to strengthen the resilience of the agri-food sector. Defra’s crop genetic improvement platform also funds crop breeding R&D to identify genetic traits to improve UK crop resilience in the context of a changing climate.

The National Adaptation Programme sets out government actions to help adapt to the impacts of climate change in England, including in the food and farming sector. To support rural communities and farmers, the Government is funding actions to improve the environment, mitigate flood risk, and boost resilience, through Environmental Land Management schemes.