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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will work with higher education institutions to support (a) research and (b) development of new (i) technologies and (ii) practices to promote sustainable food systems.

Defra works extensively with UK higher education institutions in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to support research and development. This includes collaborating on the development and adoption of technologies and practices through the £270M Farming Innovation Programme. Universities and research organisations are involved in most projects within this Programme, which develops real-world solutions to the challenges being faced, improving productivity and sustainability of farm businesses. Other examples include supporting the £47.5M UKRI-led Strategic Priorities Fund on Transforming Food Systems, which seeks to develop food systems that enhance both human and planetary health.

Defra’s Agri-Food Science Programme develops R&D to stimulate innovation to enable sustainable food systems. This includes through our crop Genetic Improvement Networks, which bring together key research institutes in crop genetics, including from higher education institutes, to identify genetic traits to improve the productivity, sustainability and resilience of crops.