The National Farmers Union (NFU) held a summit in Yorkshire focusing on critical water availability for farmers.
The summit, held on NFU’s vice-president Rachel Hallo’s farm, attracted over 60 attendees including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) secretary of state, Steve Reed.
Industry experts from across the sector, as well as water companies, non-governmental organisations and supply chain representatives also attended to discuss the issue.
The summit highlighted the lack of critical investment in water infrastructure, underlining the impacts water availability has on national food security.
NFU pledges
The NFU pledged to support a new pilot scheme, which would see farmers paired with scientific partners carrying out their own water quality testing in certain catchment areas.
The union also stated that providing farmers with more water quality information will raise awareness of their obligations.
They advised for farmers to be given advice on the best practices and case studies by the Environment Agency as well as adequate information on how to prepare for inspection.
In addition, the NFU is pledging to gather industry experts and regulators in a bid to develop a nutrient management and knowledge system, supporting water quality and nutrient use efficiency.
The NFU assured attendees it will work with planners and regulators to deliver resilient and sustainable water accessibility options to ensure food security in the UK.
Open and honest conversations
NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos said: “Water is our most precious resource. It’s absolutely vital to producing the food our country needs.
“But we’re facing increasing pressures on water – be it resources, flooding, or quality.”
Hallos mentioned that between droughts experienced this year and nutrient run-off experienced must other years, poor water quality and availability puts food security at risk.
The vice president said a recent survey showed that two in three NFU members had their businesses affected by severe weather within the last decade.
Hallos added: “Now’s the time to start having open and honest conversations and treating water as a national strategic priority. For our part, that means rolling our sleeves up, taking the initiative and tackling these challenges head on.”
The NFU said the main message from attendees at the summit was the need for urgent investment in water infrastructure.
The union also stated how encouraging it was to hear from Secretary Reed that he will look at further actions within the updated round of Sustainable Farming Incentive that will help farmers reduce water pollution.
