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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will include representation from the organic and sustainable farming sector on the Farming and Food Partnership Board.

The first meeting of the Farming and Food Partnership Board took place on 25 March 2026 with an initial membership of seven industry leads and experts. This initial group includes representation across farming and food as well as the retail and out of home markets. The first meeting considered the need for additional members ahead of the next Board meeting.

The first meeting also agreed task and finish sub-groups would be useful to help deliver the Board’s mission and objectives, alongside the sector groups developing Sector Growth Plans. Defra expects the nature of these task and finish groups to emerge as the Board gets into its work plan for the coming year. These groups will provide an opportunity for a wider range of stakeholders to engage with the work of the Board, and that could include organic and sustainable farming representation.