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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to protect the UK’s national security, in the context of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Nature Security Assessment on Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security, published on 20 January 2026.

The Nature security assessment forms part of routine cross-government resilience planning and complements the UK’s National Security Strategy, National Risk Register and Chronic Risk Analysis.

Climate change and nature loss act as risk multipliers, increasing pressures on food systems, water security and global stability. Assessing these risks helps ensure the UK is better prepared to anticipate, respond to, and mitigate future challenges.

The UK is already taking action to address the potential risks identified in the assessment. Internationally, the UK is investing in forest and ocean protection and is on track to invest £11.6bn of International Climate Finance between 2021 to 2026, including £3bn for vital habitats such as tropical rainforests and marine ecosystems, and to support indigenous communities.

The Government recognises that food security is national security. As set out in the UK Food Security Report 2024, our production and trade remain stable, but risks from nature loss, water insecurity and climate change post challenges to long-term resilience.

We are supporting domestic food production through investment in sustainable farming, innovation and technology, and by rewarding farmers for environmentally sustainable production. This includes a record £11.8 billion investment in sustainable farming over this Parliament.