Sustain welcomes new climate targets but calls for action on food and farming

The UK's goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 81% by 2035, based on 1990 levels, aligns with recommendations from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and reinforces the UK’s legal commitment to reach net zero by 2050. Sir Kier Starmer also announced a raft of welcome investments in large energy projects, but no such announcements for food or farming despite the Climate Change Commitee describing policy to reduce emissions from agriculture as 'largely missing'. 

Ruth Westcott, campaign manager at Sustain said:

“We’re really pleased to see the UK releasing it's NDCs early with ambitious, science-based targets. These targets will require effort but there is simply no choice. The future of our planet depends on it. 

The food sector stands on the frontline of the climate crisis, with producers facing the very real prospect of losing their livelihoods while our nutritional security is at risk. For far too long policies to reduce emissions from food have been pitched as risking hardship for people or farmers, but we have the opportunity to improve public health, reduce inequality, clean up rivers, restore nature and revitalise rural economies.

The food system is a colossal contributor to the climate and nature emergency but so far our efforts have barely shifted the dial. Emissions from agriculture have not significantly decreased since 2008."

Some policies that could lead to the food and farming transition needed include:

1. Making public sector food reflect a healthy, sustainable diet and support a localised food system, as well as making free school meals universal

There are significant climate opportunities from providing all schoolchildren a climate-friendly meal each day. Standards for the food bought must be legally-binding, include organic, local and sustainable produce and reflect a planetary health diet. 

2. Ensuring everyone can make low-carbon food choices easily

Adopt the Eating Better Alliance’s roadmap to a 50% reduction in meat and dairy production and consumption by 2030, through measures that improve health and place the responsibility for change on businesses, not the consumer. Revise the eatwell guide to reflect a planetary health diet and introduce a new Business, Human Rights, and Environment Act, requiring UK companies to prevent environmental harm and human rights abuses in their supply chains.

3. Rolling out a just transition strategy

Include agriculture in national strategies for zero-carbon investment with the same levels of ambition as carbon capture and storage and renewable energy. Support a shift away from polluting intensive livestock operations to agroecology, including:

• Growth targets for organic fruit, vegetables and pulses, with finance available to ‘bridge the gap’ and make organic affordable for those on low incomes
• Start-up grants for new entrants and farms in urban fringes and for equitable economic models like farmer cooperatives.
• Investment in plant-based high protein crops and produce

4. Redefining how we measure and act on food security

Food security must be a national priority – with a right to nutrious food enshrined in law. But food security measures must incorporate climate and nature risks. Food security policies must have equal regard for their impact outside the UK as within the UK. The steps we take in the UK must not exacerbate overseas pollution, habitat loss, land-grabbing or worker exploitation.

5. Updating planning policy

Food and farming are all but missing from planning policy and this needs to change in the forthcoming update of England’s National Planning Policy Framework. All developments should demonstrate how they support a localised, healthy, low-GHG food system. The framework must include a presumption against new or expanded intensive livestock units in polluted river catchments.

6. Making farm payments sustainable

Ensure farming payment schemes, such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive include specific incentives to reduce GHG emissions. Increase the farming budget as a mission-critical resource for the environment that must be allocated toward long-term environmental targets to ensure the UK meets its EIP 2023 objectives and ensure long-term food security. The UK farming budget has remained unchanged since 2013, and significant inflation since then means today’s budget is a real terms funding cut.

7. Publishing a Land Use Framework

The framework should set out how the UK will ramp up tree planting and habitat restoration, produce more food directly for humans rather than animals, and support the objectives above.