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Written question asked by Mark Hendrick (Labour) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Friday, 4 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Food: Waste

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take to tackle food insecurity in relation to reducing food waste, improving agricultural food production and increasing climate resilience.

Answer

The Government is taking action to support farmers that are facing pressure from this summer’s exceptionally dry conditions. This includes temporary adjustments to Environmental Land Management (ELM) agreements, so farmers affected by drought can continue to receive payments and take practical steps to protect livestock, crops and land; an increase in funding for Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 Window 2; and action and funding to support building reservoirs.

Defra is also building greater long-term resilience to climate shocks, in line with the Farming Roadmap’s commitments.

In addition, Defra funded allocated £13.5 million through its farm surplus fund to help redistribution charities work with farmers in England to ensure more surplus fresh produce gets to those who need it most.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
19844
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Agriculture Climate change Food Food supply Waste
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk