Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 56077 on Farmer: Mental Health, what findings have been identified through the Farmer Opinion Tracker on mental health challenges; and how these findings are informing agricultural policy development.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We listen to what farmers are telling us, reporting in our statistical series the strength of sentiment through both numbers and from the open response questions. Findings, alongside our engagement with farmers at shows and events and with representative bodies, including farming welfare charities, all contribute to a better understanding of the issues farmers are facing and how the delivery of schemes and other interventions can impact not just on businesses but also on farmers’ own personal resilience and mental health.
In the Farmer Opinion Tracker, we hear views from farmers across a range of issues relating to farming and we recognise that confidence remains low. Findings can be found on GOV.YK by searching ‘Farming Opinion Tracker’.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Syngenta’s decision to cease UK-based wheat breeding on (a) domestic food security and (b) the competitiveness of British agriculture.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is aware of Syngenta’s recent decision to consolidate its hybrid wheat breeding operations in mainland Europe. While this represents a shift in the location of certain research and development activities, it is notable that Syngenta has reaffirmed its commitment to testing and commercialising hybrid wheat varieties tailored to UK agronomic conditions. This continued engagement can help ensure that UK farmers retain access to competitive seed technologies.
Defra recognises the importance of resilient domestic crop breeding programmes in supporting long-term food security. While Syngenta’s decision may reduce the UK’s direct role in early-stage wheat breeding, the continued availability of high-performing varieties through UK trials and commercialisation mitigates immediate risks to food supply. Furthermore, the Government is actively supporting innovation in crop development through the implementation of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 and its associated regulations, which are designed to accelerate the development and deployment of climate-resilient and high-yielding crops.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 56077 on Farmer: Mental Health, what (a) funding and (b) support his Department is providing directly to farming welfare charities to enhance mental health outreach and services in rural and agricultural communities.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Delivery of mental health interventions sits with the Department for Health and Social Care, who are investing in mental health to ensure it receives the same attention as physical health. This includes the hiring of 8,500 new mental health support workers, which will reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes – including in rural communities.
Defra is supporting farming welfare charities through funding the Farmer Welfare Grant. This aids organisations to deliver projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. One recipient, the Farming Community Network, is using the funding to expand their FarmWell platform. This online resource provides business and personal resilience advice on topics including mental health, isolation, depression and suicide.
Currently, grant recipients operate in Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and online via the FCN’s FarmWell platform.
The RPA also runs a Welfare Forum, which brings together England’s largest farming and welfare organisations that provide mental health support to discuss issues farmers are facing.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Food Standards Agency on a revision to its draft guidance on precision breeding to ensure it does not impose GMO-style data requirements.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has worked closely with Defra throughout the development of the Precision Breeding legislation and will continue to do so.
Following stakeholder engagement on the draft technical guidance for Precision Bred organisms for food and feed use, the FSA is currently revising its draft technical guidance to be clearer about what information the Precision Breeding Regulations require.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding and support mechanisms his Department is considering to establish a national programme for precision breeding (a) research and (b) public engagement.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to supporting research to unlock the potential of precision breeding. The latest programme of Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs), which is supported by up to £15 million in funding over 5 years, includes funding for research into precision breeding.
Earlier this year under the Farming Innovation Programme we announced a £12.5 million competition focused specifically on precision breeding. We also welcome the announcement within the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy to allocate at least £200 million to the Programme up to 2030. This will offer targeted funding to drive innovation in agriculture. Precision breeding has also been recognised within the Industrial Strategy and will continue to be in scope within the industry led FIP competitions.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help support UK-based innovation in fertiliser development in the context of the proposed UK-EU agreement on agri-food.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are significant opportunities for innovation in the fertiliser sector, particularly development of newer types of fertilising products and production processes that improve nutrient use efficiency, which are made from clean energy or recycled nutrients from other materials.
Novel fertilisers have been in scope of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, including within the Programme’s £15 million nutrient management competition, and successful applicants to this competition started their projects earlier this year. We welcome the announcement within the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy to allocate at least £200 million to the Programme up to 2030 which will offer targeted funding to drive innovation in agriculture.
Recently Defra has launched the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies Fund (ADOPT) as part of the above Farming Innovation Programme, committing up to £20.6 million of funding in 25/26 to support the introduction of innovative technologies aimed at improving productivity, resilience and sustainability.
Fertiliser product regulation does not fall within the scope of the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support high-yield, productive farming in the context of its environmental targets.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are investing £2.7 billion a year into sustainable food production and nature’s recovery, with funding for our Environmental Land Management schemes increasing by 150%.
We have more farmers than ever in nature friendly farming schemes and are reforming the Sustainable Farming Incentive to target funds fairly and effectively towards food, farming and nature priorities. We will announce further details later this year.
Additionally, up to £110 million is available in new grant competitions starting in 2025/26. These grants will support research and innovation, technology and equipment for farmers to boost farm businesses, food production, and the natural environment
Furthermore, our farming roadmap ‘Farming 2050: Growing England’s Future’ will involve government working with farmers and farming and environmental organisation representatives to set the course of farming over the next 25 years. It will provide a vision for our farming sector and set the direction for how we get there, with a focus on delivering our food security and environmental objectives and supporting farms to be resilient and profitable. Publication is planned later this year.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Welsh government on the application of the Precision Breeding Act 2023 in Wales; and what steps he is taking to support (a) plant breeders and (b) farmers in Wales given the regulatory disparity.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The secondary legislation needed to implement The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants in England was passed on 13 May 2025 and the new regulatory framework will commence on 14 November 2025.
The Department has engaged with the Welsh Government at Ministerial and official level to discuss the implementation of these regulations. The Department recognises the importance of working closely with Welsh Government on this and will continue to do so in the run up to the commencement of the new regulations.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the mental health challenges facing farmers in England; and what steps his Department is taking to improve access to mental health support services in (a) rural and (b) agricultural communities.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We use existing channels to listen to, and monitor, impacts of our policy changes on farmers. This includes regular meetings with farming welfare charities, listening to feedback from farming organisations, speaking to farmers directly at events, and through our Farmer Opinion Tracker.
Defra are working in consultation with communities, farming support organisations and experts across government with the aim of improving mental and physical health outcomes for the agricultural community.
Delivery of mental health interventions sits with the Department for Health and Social Care, who are investing in mental health to ensure it receives the same attention as physical health. This includes the hiring of 8,500 new mental health support workers, which will reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes – including in rural communities.
The Government is also building a national network of Young Futures hubs, which will be present in every community and will deliver support for young people facing mental health challenges.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of large-scale solar farms on (a) agricultural land use and (b) landscape character in South Northamptonshire constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not collect information on the potential impacts of constructing green energy infrastructure. However, Defra does produce statistical estimates of agricultural land areas each year from the annual June Survey of Agriculture: