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Written question asked by Claire Hazelgrove (Labour) on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2026. It was answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Food Supply and Water Supply

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to address the risks to the UK’s food, water and economic security arising from biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.

Answer

The Government recognises that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation can pose risks to food security, water security and economic resilience. We are therefore taking action to strengthen the UK's preparedness and resilience to these risks through resilience planning, investment in nature and infrastructure, and measures to improve food system and supply chain resilience.

We have launched the Taskforce on the National Security and Resilience Risks of a Changing Climate and Nature Loss and commissioned a three-year Nature Security Research and Development Programme to improve indicators, analytical tools and early-warning capability, helping the Government to identify emerging risks and strengthen resilience planning.

To strengthen food system resilience, we are implementing the 2025 Food Strategy and working across Government to improve preparedness for supply chain disruption and longer-term risks. We are also investing more than £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery and have committed £11.8 billion over this Parliament to support sustainable farming and food production.

To improve water resilience, we have secured £104 billion of investment in the water sector, including new reservoirs and measures to reduce leakage. Water companies’ published Water Resources Management Plans show how they can close the predicted water supply demand gap.

Internationally, the UK's climate and nature programmes support the protection and restoration of forests, oceans and other critical ecosystems that underpin global food production, water resources and economic stability, including through the UK's International Climate Finance programme and the Government's intended £400 million investment in the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
26363
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Biodiversity Economic situation Food supply Water supply
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk