New parliamentary report sets out long-term vision for UK agri-tech

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Science and Technology in Agriculture has published a major report titled Feeding Britain Sustainably to 2050. This report sets out a framework for delivering the 30:50:50 mission: a 30% increase in agricultural output alongside a 50% reduction in farming’s environmental footprint by 2050. The report follows years of fragmented policymaking and limited long-term planning, during which the UK’s food self-sufficiency has fallen by 12% since 2000. With the government preparing to publish its implementation plans for the National Food Strategy next spring, the APPG’s report makes the case for a coherent, joined-up approach to support the future of the agri-tech sector.

The Science and Technology in Agriculture parliamentary group launched the 30:50:50 mission in January 2025 and has worked with organisations and experts across the agricultural sector to assess the barriers businesses face in achieving it. The mission received strong backing from industry, with contributors describing it as ambitious but achievable with the right policy incentives in place.

The report highlights a concern about the level of cross-government coordination on major policy areas such as environmental regulation, land use policies and agricultural innovation, which parliamentarians say risks the UK’s long-term food security. The report suggests three steps the government can take to deliver on the 30:50:50 mission. First, the parliamentary group calls for the government to elevate the importance of food security alongside environmental goals and introduce the 30:50:50 mission. The second step requires the government to develop a National Agri-Data Institute to act as a centralised system for sharing, collating, and analysing data to support evidence-led policymaking. Finally, it urges greater policy alignment across farm support, regulation, and research to ensure that innovation and productivity are embedded at the heart of food and land-use policy.

The government recognises the political importance of food security, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer reinforcing that food security is a matter of national security in the Labour Party’s pre-election manifesto. The party pledged to champion British farming and protect the environment. A year after the election, the government published its Modern Industrial Strategy. This is a 10-year plan to increase business investment and grow the industries of the future in the UK. Agri-tech was identified as a frontier industry and the government set out its objectives and support for the sector in the advanced manufacturing plan. Ministers and officials are keen to collaborate with the sector to accelerate growth and fulfil the sector’s economic potential.

For businesses in the agri-tech sector, this parliamentary report is a welcome signal that politicians recognise the sector’s strategic importance and are thinking about how a long-term strategy can be implemented. By calling for joined-up thinking across regulation, research, and farm support, it outlines how wider government policy can support the growth of the agri-tech sector. The growing recognition of the need for coherence and long-term strategy is encouraging for businesses and investors, as is the wider political and parliamentary engagement around the important topics of food production and security. We strongly encourage businesses to monitor how policymakers respond to the report’s recommendations.

To discuss the parliamentary report or the government’s agri-tech policy, please reach out to Jacob at jacob.walsh@gkstrategy.com

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