Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of World Bank (a) policies on and (b) investment in agriculture on (i) reducing poverty and (ii) increasing food security.

The World Bank has helped protect farmers, local production, and food security in developing countries. The Bank advocates the use of quality seeds and is planning major investments in green fertiliser production. An efficient national agricultural innovation system and an effective seed certification system is essential to meet the challenges agriculture faces in developing countries. The UK is supporting this longer-term goal to do both, boost food security, incomes, and climate adaptation and resilience. The World Bank has committed to full alignment of all its sovereign lending with the Paris Agreement by 1 July 2023. We are holding the Bank to account through the Board.