Urgent action is needed for UK farming to be sustainable, a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank has said.

However the report, Reaping the rewards: Cultivating a fair transition for farming, adds that farmers should not be left with the responsibility for the transition to climate and nature-friendly farming alone.

The IPPR recommends that the government take a greater role within the food system and says "urgent action" is needed.

Luke Murphy, co-author of the report said: “The lack of a government strategy for our food and farming sector has serious consequences.  

“The government must provide long-term financial support for the transition [to sustainable farming], and strengthen trade policy to guarantee environmental and worker standards.

Lesley Rankin, co-author of the report said: "If we are serious about ensuring food security and leaving our environment in a better state than we found it for generations to come, it is crucial we act immediately and involve farmers and communities every step of the way".

Among the findings discussed in the report are:

That trade deals struck since Brexit are undercutting British farmers and climate goals, while exporting the UK’s carbon and ecological footprint elsewhere in the world;
The UK’s food system is too wasteful, is skewed towards highly processed food and is environmentally damaging;
Food poverty is an increasing problem with lower-income households who are disproportionately affected by food price rises and less able to afford a good diet.

Sustainable UK food production

For the urgent action to create a transition to sustainable UK food production, the IPPR included various recommendations for how it can be achieved.

The think tank recommended that the government allocate £2.4 billion a year for the next decade in England for environmental land priorities.

It also recommends that the government end subsidies in the form of de-linked payments to farms with over £100,000 net annual profit from food sales, starting in 2024.

£58 million should be the annual increase of the Environment Agency funding, according to the IPPR, in order to ensure it has the capacity to "inspect, support and apply sanctions to farms, as needed".

Further recommendations from the IPPR report include:

The creation of a food partnership and a council lead on food in every local area to support local food strategies which account for local concerns and dynamics, aligned with national priorities and targets;

Increase investment in future farmers and farm workers through investing in local apprenticeships and training colleges and promoting the sector as a career choice;

Mandating food waste disclosure for large food businesses who must account for waste through the whole supply chain;

New primary legislation to ensure imports are produced to the same environmental, climate, animal welfare, workers’ rights, and food safety standards as domestic produce;

A national land use framework with a target to shift 32-57% of farmland by 2050 away from livestock use, and towards nature restoration and natural carbon sequestration;

The IPPR also recommends that the granting of right of first refusal to buy farming land for sale, to rebuild county farms or similar structures for access to land and sustainable food growing should be supported by a new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs funding scheme, local authorities, and community organisations.

A package of support for farmers that includes a long-term budget for payments based on environmental need, support for those affected by energy prices, a plan to move to renewable energy sources, and more support for training and advice, through the development of peer-to-peer environmental farming networks.

The IPPR recommends that "shifting away from animal feed, meat, and dairy production should be accompanied by a significant investment in horticulture".