This morning I met with the President of the National Farmers Union, Minette Batters, to discuss the vitally important role of farmers in bolstering the UK’s food security.
Farmers and growers are the custodians of our iconic countryside, managing 70% of England’s land and carrying out a huge amount of work to protect and enhance the landscape, encourage wildlife, and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
It is the Government’s ambition to grow UK food production in a sustainable way and increase farming’s share of markets both at home and abroad.
Our food and drink is already enjoyed by people in more than 200 countries. With the right trade strategy, we can grow our exports by 30% by 2030 while ensuring our existing high animal welfare and environmental standards are not undermined.
I am proud that the UK has always been at the forefront of animal welfare legislation and offers some of the best animal welfare standards in the world.
