Farming In the North West: Sustainability and Food Security

Food - It's something we can’t survive without and yet the vast majority of us take it for granted. That shelves will always be well stocked and that there will not only be a plentiful supply, but also a wide variety of foods available from all over the world. Here in the North West, we are incredibly lucky to have such a diverse range of food producers on our doorstep. From meat and dairy to fruit and vegetable production, you can find everything you need from breakfast to your evening meal. While all grown within a 60-mile radius of Manchester. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it.

The North West contributes £726m to our economy. 15% of the UK’s food production industry is based here. We grow 7% of the nation's spuds. 6,270 people work in the production of fruit and veg which is worth £116m.

Enough milk is produced annually for 77 billion cups of tea. The lush grasslands produce 21.5% of England’s lamb and 16.5% of England’s beef. We grow 33,741 hectares of wheat for bread, animal feed and biofuels and 40,426 hectares of barley with an average of 864m eggs laid by more than 2.7m hens.

As farmers and growers move towards achieving net zero by 2040 there is an increasing re-evaluation of farming practices. A common tension is how to make food production more efficient, whilst working in harmony with the environment and protecting the natural resources such as the water and soil upon which our businesses depend. It’s all about finding a balance between feeding a growing population in a changing climate and protecting the environment that feeds physically and spiritually.

Now, more than ever, it is vital that those in charge focus on food security and ensuring that we are able to continue to feed our nation. With a maritime climate, we need to make the most of what we grow best, utilising land in the right ways. We are very good at growing grass on land which is not suitable for growing crops. Permanent pasture land is not only a good carbon sink but also enables grazing animals to turn grass into protein and creates nutrient recycling by putting fertiliser back into the soil, which then improves soil health.

Up to now, 2022 has been a year of contrasts for Farmers and Growers in the North West. Whilst those in the southern area of the region experienced droughts, the rest of the region, whilst having slightly lower than average rainfall had a relatively good growing season and harvest.

The pressures of increasing energy costs and fertiliser prices, as well as the shortage of people to both plant and pick crops, have meant that many farmers and growers are now assessing their future. In some cases, they are cutting back what they produce as it becomes uneconomic or too risky to produce bigger quantities. Avian Influenza has recently had a major impact on poultry producers with some having lost whole flocks to the disease.

Farmers and growers plan production at least 12-18 months in advance. For example, it takes nearly a year to grow a crop of wheat - planting it in October and harvesting it the following August - to gain the maximum yield. Similarly, it takes two years to produce beef.

As we move forward it is vital that those with influence on policy recognise the importance of food security in an increasingly volatile world. Food production cannot be increased overnight, at the flick of a switch. If we are to continue to produce healthy, affordable, nutritious food for the people in the North West, then we need systems in place to support this going forward. North West farmers and growers, with the right support and Government policy, are up for the challenge.

Lisa Edwards, Arable Farmer and NFU Lancashire Regional Chair