Defra’s long-awaited Farming Roadmap sets out positive ambitions for farming over the next 25 years, but the NFU is clear that there must be a real sense of urgency in delivery, fuelled by Treasury investment and government focus on food security.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “After nearly two years of waiting for this roadmap, it’s good to see resilience, profitability, productivity and sustainability at its heart - all areas we’ve been urging the government to focus on. The government is right to say that the national security context has changed. Combined with climate and economic shocks, the fragilities of our food system now feel very exposed, and we need to move rapidly into delivery mode to turn this around.

“However, while the roadmap is full of ambition, it falls short on action and even shorter on the means of delivery.

“The roadmap sets out a welcome multi-year direction for farming, yet there is no long-term funding to go with it. Intent alone won’t deliver a secure and affordable supply of homegrown food for the nation, nor care for 70% of England’s landscape.

“The Treasury is conspicuously absent in this plan. Instead, it tips the balance of risk even more onto the shoulders of farmers, with much of the investment expected to come from business bank accounts which have been sucked dry over recent years due to soaring costs and unsustainably low margins. There has to be a greater partnership between Defra, the Treasury, MHCLG (Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government) and farmers if we’re to realise this vision for farming.

“This isn’t just about growing the basic value of food and farming, but building a resilient food system which can protect the 29 million UK households from future food shocks. We will work with ministers to ensure the priorities and vision are delivered through a genuine partnership approach with the Farming and Food Partnership Board.”

The roadmap also relies heavily on assumptions of productivity growth and private finance which, while important elements to work towards, risk being over-simplified.

UK farmers and growers are working in a very different world to 50 years ago; War, geo-political tensions and climate extremes are wreaking havoc on economies, the flow of trade and food production around the world. Meanwhile, the overhaul of domestic farming policy and the volatile political situation at home has only added to the deep uncertainty felt by farm businesses, hindering confidence and investment.

Mr Bradshaw said: “Today’s record temperatures show what we’re up against. Resilience isn’t just about maintaining profitability in times of challenge, but being able to adapt to changing circumstances, including a more volatile climate. Let’s review abstraction licensing rules to ensure they’re fit for purpose, let’s stimulate investment in on-farm water storage, and reform the planning rules to make building reservoirs easier – these are all things the government could do right now to help boost productivity growth.

“It’s also vital that food production is given equal legislative weight to the UK’s climate and environmental targets. The roadmap states that ‘food production will remain the primary purpose of farming and central to national security’ – the government must be given a clear mandate to drive this forward, or our ability to produce the nation’s food will simply succumb to the whims of future governments.”

The Farming Roadmap has been published alongside the government’s response to the Farm Profitability Review.

Mr Bradshaw added: “I’d like to thank Baroness Batters for the work she has done on the Profitability Review. She is right to outline the need for closer collaboration between farming and government and for greater clarity and certainty for farm businesses looking to grow and invest.

“It’s good to see that the government has picked up many of the recommendations, which were also reflected in the NFU’s submission, and we continue to work with government to deliver these.”