National Farmers’ Union (UK)

Background

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) represents farmers and growers in England and Wales, formed in 1908.

The NFU says its purpose is โ€œto champion British agriculture and horticulture, to campaign for a stable and sustainable future for British farmers and to secure the best possible deal for our members.โ€ The group has more than 55,000 members.1โ€œAbout us,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/3r8z2

The group has set a target of ensuring all agriculture across England and Wales has net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Its approach has been criticised for failing to address emissions from meat consumption.2Roger Harrabin. โ€œUK farms plan for going โ€˜carbon neutral,โ€ BBC News, September 10, 2019. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/UvolM

Stance on Climate Change

In January 2019, the NFU announced its aim to have a โ€œnet zeroโ€ contribution to โ€œclimate change across the whole of agricultural production by 2040.โ€ The group released a report on how it hopes to achieve this goal, alongside a โ€œcall for support from government, industry and other key groups to work in partnership to help deliver this challenging ambition.โ€3โ€œโ€˜Net Zeroโ€™ agriculture,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZpYkT 4โ€œAchieving Net Zero โ€“ Farmingโ€™s 2040 Goal,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 5โ€œAchieving net zero โ€“ meeting the climate change challenge,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Xao2M

NFU President Minette Batters said: โ€œNFU believes that the agricultural sector is very much part of the solution to decarbonising the UK economyโ€ and says the group is working on introducing policy incentives for farmers and growers.6โ€œAchieving Net Zero โ€“ Farmingโ€™s 2040 Goal,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The NFUโ€™s target for reaching net-zero emissions relies up three themes:7โ€œAchieving Net Zero โ€“ Farmingโ€™s 2040 Goal,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The first is by โ€œboosting productivity and reducing emissionsโ€ which includes encouraging farmers to use precision agriculture techniques for crops โ€œto deliver nutrients and crop protection more efficientlyโ€. Within this, it also suggests gene editing โ€œfor disease resistance to improve health and productivity of crops and livestock and reduce emissionsโ€. It also highlights measures such as controlled fertilizer release, using feed additives for ruminant livestock, loosening compacted soils and preventing soil compaction and implementing energy efficiency measures.8โ€œAchieving Net Zero โ€“ Farmingโ€™s 2040 Goal,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.


Read more: Digital and Precision Agriculture โ€“ Criticisms and Concerns


The NFU also encourages farmers to adopt carbon storage techniques by โ€œimproving land management and changing land use to capture more carbonโ€ โ€” key elements of regenerative agriculture. This includes growing bigger hedgerows and planting more woodland. The report also suggests farmers can enhance soil carbon storage, and asks for support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to develop a โ€œnetwork of demonstration farms and the development of a mechanism for reward payments.โ€9โ€œAchieving Net Zero โ€“ Farmingโ€™s 2040 Goal,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.


Read more: Regenerative Agriculture โ€“ Criticisms and Concerns


The NFUโ€™s third pillar for achieving the goal of net zero emissions is encouraging the production of bioenergy and the use of bio-materials. The report says: โ€œBoosting renewable energy and the bioeconomy to displace greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and to create GHG [greenhouse gas] removal through photosynthesis and carbon capture is a key part of the NFU ambition for achieving net zero.โ€ Critics say that bioenergy production increases competition for land, and uses land which is needed for carbon storage and food production.10โ€œAchieving Net Zero โ€“ Farmingโ€™s 2040 Goal,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 11Andrew Steer and Craig Hanson. โ€œBiofuels are not a green alternative to fossil fuels,โ€ The Guardian, January 29, 2015. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/IDHsN

The NFU supports Crop Production Magazineโ€™s Climate Change Champions initiative to reward farmers making changes to be net-zero. It is sponsored by BASF, BKT, CF Fertilisers, Fendt, Pรถttinger, Interagro and KWS.12Tom Allen-Stevens. โ€œStep forward with climate change solutions, says NFU,โ€ Crop Production Magazine, December 10, 2019. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/GRuNt

In 2009, the NFU partnered with the CLA, a membership organisation for landowners, to launch the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE), now named Championing the Farmed Environment. The CFE produces guidance โ€œto support farmers in delivering for the environmentโ€. It is supported by a number of major agricultural unions and government bodies including Defra, the Environment Agency, and The Woodland Trust.13โ€œOur history,โ€ Campaign for the Farmed Environment. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/HiHFs 14โ€œWhat we do,โ€ Campaign for the Farmed Environment. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Kzava

Defending meat production

In November 2018, the NFU released a statement responding to a Committee on Climate Changeโ€™s report on changes in land use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The union said that reducing livestock numbers is not part of the NFUโ€™s policy for reducing emissions, and said: โ€œWe are disappointed to see the Committee on Climate Change include that recommendation in its report. The report simply does not recognise the environmental benefits grass-fed beef and sheep production brings to the UK.โ€15โ€œNFU response to Committee on Climate Change report,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/aWqQR

The report by the Committee on Climate Change, an independent government advisory body, says that people need to cut their beef, lamb and dairy consumption by 20% if the UK is going to be able to meet its net-zero emissions by 2050 target.16Jasmine Anderson. โ€œCut red meat and dairy consumption by 20% to reduce climate change, experts urge,โ€ iNews, January 23, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/atsvM

In a document called โ€œClimate friendly farming. The facts about British meatโ€ the NFU argues that it is not a question of whether to eat meat or not, but rather considering โ€œwhere the livestock was farmed and the environmental and welfare standards of where it was produced.โ€17โ€œClimate friendly farming: the facts about British meat,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The document says that UK beef production is not driving deforestation in other parts of the world (a criticism raised by some environmental groups) because โ€œ87% of UK beef is produced using predominantly forage-based diets, with only a very small amount of soya in rearing diets.โ€ It also states that greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in the UK are about half of the global average.18Emily Beament. โ€œMeat produced in UK causing deforestation,โ€ The Ecologist, February 19, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DMG9J

In response to a Guardian article discussing 18 arguments for adopting a meat-free diet, NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts says that although diet has a part to play in climate change, โ€œCutting out meat is not going to solve the climate crisisโ€ and argues that decisions โ€œneed to be based on production systems โ€“ not the product itself.โ€19Damian Carrington. โ€œWhy you should go animal-free: 18 arguments for eating meat debunked,โ€ The Guardian, June 19, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/rcq9R 20โ€œNFU writes to The Guardian about eating meat article,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/I6IxJ

The NFUโ€™s report on โ€œClimate friendly farmingโ€ about UK meat production also says that reductions in greenhouse gas emissions can come from โ€œusing better genetics and making further improvements to animal welfareโ€. The report also argues that 65% of UK farmland could not be used for growing crops to feed people, and it is only appropriate for growing grass for animals to eat.21โ€œClimate friendly farming: the facts about British meat,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

In November 2019 the NFU invited 40 university delegates to its office in London to hear from speakers about British meat productionโ€™s role in the climate crisis. The NFU says the โ€œtake-home messageโ€ for the attendees was that โ€œSourcing British, climate-friendly beef and lamb can play an important role in tackling the climate crisisโ€.22John Swire. โ€œBritish red meat production is part of solution to climate crisis, universities hear,โ€ Farm Business. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DhXly

โ€œThe world is crying out for a leader in sustainable food productionโ€ according to NFU President Minette Batters, โ€œand British farmers are ready to take this opportunity.โ€ Batters said that British farmers are โ€œalready producing some of the most climate-friendly beef and lamb in the world,โ€ and urged the university delegates attending to not question whether or not meat should be served and instead ask โ€œwhere has it been produced, and to what environmental and animal welfare standards?โ€23John Swire. โ€œBritish red meat production is part of solution to climate crisis, universities hear,โ€ Farm Business. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/DhXly

Friends of the Earth campaigner Guy Shrubsole told the BBC in 2019 that he was astonished the NFUโ€™s plan for achieving net-zero didn’t include eating less red meat, saying: โ€œEating less but better meat would free up much more land for woodlands and agroforestry. But it seems the NFU is still not prepared to contemplate significant land use change, despite the Committee on Climate Change recommending this as being vital.โ€24Roger Harrabin. โ€œUK farms plan for going โ€˜carbon neutral,โ€ BBC News, September 10, 2019. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/UvolM

In August 2021, the NFU responded to comments made by Ethan Brown, the founder and CEO of plant-based food manufacturer Beyond Meat, about the idea of taxing meat products. Brown said that the idea of a “Pigouvian tax” on products “high in externalities” like meat was “an interesting one”. In response, the NFU claimed that “When people buy British meat they are buying sustainable, local food, produced in areas where it is difficult to grow other foodsโ€ and that โ€œThe same cannot always be said for some highly processed meat alternatives”.25Josh Barrie. “Farmers respond to vegan food boss who suggested meat tax would be a good idea,” iNews, August 2, 2021. Archived September 20, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/W9yEL 26Jonathan Josephs. “Beyond Meat boss: Tax on negative impacts ‘does appeal’,” BBC News, August 2, 2021. Archived September 1, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/rodVj

The NFU spokesperson added: โ€œPeople should be reassured that if they want to enjoy meat products and at the same time reduce their carbon footprint โ€“ they can. In the UK, greenhouse gas emissions from UK beef production are less than half the global average.” The spokesperson also claimed that โ€œBritish farmers are leading the way in climate-friendly food” and are “working towards net zero food production by 2040, So you can eat healthily and more sustainably by eating balanced and choosing British.โ€27Josh Barrie. “Farmers respond to vegan food boss who suggested meat tax would be a good idea,” iNews, August 2, 2021. Archived September 20, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/W9yEL

Role in Pesticides Controversy

In 2017 the NFU, through itโ€™s Brussels affiliate the British Agricultural Bureau, lobbied the EU for the use of glyphosate to be re-approved. A letter sent to President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, the Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner, Phil Hogan, and the Health and Safety Commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis, states that UK farmers are watching the debate on re-approving the use of glyphosate with โ€œmounting concernโ€ and that the UK farming unions โ€œfirmly believe that the EUโ€™s science-based decision making process should be upheld and glyphosate reauthorised for the maximum period possible.โ€28โ€œLetter to Jean-Claude Juncker โ€“ 11/3/2017,โ€ British Agriculture Bureau. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 29โ€œUK farming unions letter on glyphosate,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/3tcXq

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used weed killer which the International Agency for Research on Cancer said in 2015 was โ€œprobably carcinogenic to humansโ€ but was re-approved for use by the EU in 2017. In January 2020, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a statement that said the EPA has concluded that โ€œthere are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used according to the label and that it is not a carcinogen.โ€30โ€œGlyphosate,โ€ Pesticide Action Network. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/AparD 31Arthur Neslen. โ€œControversial glyphosate weedkiller wins new five-year lease in Europe,โ€ The Guardian, November 27, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ivFY7 32 โ€œEPA Finalises Glyphosate Mitigation,โ€ US Environmental Protection Agency, January 30. 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/iyvPB

In its 2017 letter, the NFU also argued that glyphosate is an โ€œessential toolโ€ for farmers as it โ€œallows conservation agriculture to take place.โ€ The group argues that without glyphosate farmers wouldn’t be able to plant cover crops which โ€œimprove soil structure and drainage as well as reduce soil erosionโ€. The letter says: โ€œThis form of conservation agriculture requires less work with machinery and allows farmers to adopt practices such as minimum or zero tillage, thus helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.โ€33โ€œLetter to Jean-Claude Juncker โ€“ 11/3/2017,โ€ British Agriculture Bureau. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The NFU Vice President Guy Smith argues that glyphosate use cuts greenhouse gas emissions โ€œby reducing the need for ploughingโ€ as well as reducing the need for other herbicides. The use of glyphosate was re-approved by the European Commission for five years in November 2017.34โ€œGlyphosate decision must be based on science and evidence, not politics, says NFU,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/sWh53 35โ€œGlyphosate decision welcome news, NFU says,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/S0Pno

In 2013, the NFU supported a legal challenge by Syngenta after the European Commission put a ban on a number of neonicotinoid pesticides, including thiamethoxam, distributed by Syngenta as Cruiser. In 2015, the Union secured the emergency use of the pesticide. In 2017, the NFU promoted a Syngenta campaign which urged farmers to use drift reduction technology to reduce spray drift when applying pesticides.36Philip Case. โ€œNFU backs Syngentaโ€™s EU neonic legal challenge,โ€ Farmers Weekly, November 21, 2013. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/SpneG 37โ€œNeonics emergency use application approved,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/MHkm2 38โ€œSyngenta campaign aims to reduce pesticide product drift,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/M8xe1

A joint report from 2014 by UK’s Crop Protection Association, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), and the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), claimed that over-regulation of pesticides was โ€œstarting to affect our ability to grow crops now and in the immediate futureโ€ which โ€œstifles, rather than embraces, progressive innovationโ€.39โ€œHealthy Harvest โ€“ the impact of losing plant protection products on UK food,โ€ Crop Protection Association, National Farmers Union and Agricultural Industries Confederation. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

In 2020, the NFU legally supported an appeal by Bayer against the European Unionโ€™s ban on the outdoor use of neonicotinoids.40Philip Case. โ€œBayer and NFU battling to overturn neonicotinoids ban,โ€ Farmers Weekly, June 4, 2020. Archived August 12, 2020. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/RwhG9

Lobbying

In the EU, the NFU is represented by the British Agricultural Bureau, the โ€œonly UK farming lobby to have a permanent base in Brussels.โ€ The NFU states on its website that it gives farmers โ€œpolitical representation at [a] European, national and local levelโ€.41โ€œBritish Agriculture Bureau,โ€ British Chamber of Commerce, EU and Belgium. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/Jly72

It also discloses that the NFU is active in Westminster, saying:42โ€œLobbying and representation,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZqHaq

  • โ€œThe NFUโ€™s Government and Parliamentary Affairs operation represents and promotes the views of the NFU in London to a wide range of stakeholders.โ€
  • โ€œMonitoring political developments which affect the farming and growing industries.โ€
  • โ€œInfluencing the political agenda through meetings, briefings and legislative amendments.โ€
  • โ€œLobbying Parliament in line with the NFU’s communications strategy.โ€43โ€œLobbying and representation,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZqHaq

And in Brussels, its lobbying includes:44โ€œLobbying and representation,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZqHaq

  • โ€œIdentifying European proposals that will impact on UK agriculture years before they become law and shaping them for the benefit of our members.โ€
  • โ€œWorking closely with high level contacts in the European Commission. EU governments, think tanks and other stakeholder groups.โ€
  • โ€œAdvising UK MEPs how to amend EU policy to support British agriculture.โ€
  • โ€œThe NFU is an influential member of COPA, the European farmers’ organisation, which represents over 13 million European farmers.โ€45โ€œLobbying and representation,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZqHaq

A 2016 report by the Ethical Consumer Research Association, titled โ€œUnderstanding the NFU an English Agribusiness Lobby Group,โ€ described that the Union, for environmental campaigners particularly, has โ€œdeveloped a reputation of having hardened into an anti-environmental, free-market lobby group.โ€46โ€œUnderstanding the NFU โ€“ an English agribusiness lobby group,โ€ Ethical Consumer Researcher Association. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The report also referenced a 2013 Guardian article by author and environmentalist George Monbiot who wrote, โ€œIs there any organisation as selfish, grasping and antisocial as the National Farmersโ€™ Union? Is there any organisation, except the banks, that secures so much public money for its members while offering so little in return?โ€47George Monbiot. โ€œThe National Farmersโ€™ Union secures so much public cash yet gives nothing back,โ€ The Guardian, July 8, 2013. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/PIfwJ

The ECRA states that โ€œalthough there is a lot of anecdotal concern in our interviews and elsewhere that it [the NFU] may have โ€˜captured Defra [The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]โ€™, the evidence seems to show that, though their influence is huge, full capture is not yet complete.โ€48โ€œUnderstanding the NFU โ€“ an English agribusiness lobby group,โ€ Ethical Consumer Researcher Association. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

During the first three months of 2020 the NFU met with Defra ministers, including 15 meetings with George Eustice, UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as a meeting with Zac Goldsmith, Minister of State for Pacific and the Environment, to discuss the NFUโ€™s โ€œrally at the QE2 centre, COP26 [UN climate conference] and climate changeโ€, according to transparency data published by Defra.49โ€œMinisterial meetings, January to March 2020,โ€ DEFRA, July 30, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/PIfwJ

NFU president Minette Batters reportedly had a private telephone meeting with more than 30 MPs including Owen Paterson (the MP for North Shropshire who has links to groups that spread disinformation on climate change including the Global Warming Policy Foundation, Heritage Foundation, and Competitive Enterprise Institute) to discuss the impact coronavirus is having on the farming industry.50James Pugh. โ€œCovid-19 impacts on farming industry discussed in telephone meeting,โ€ Shropshire Star, April 16, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/waDUO

Funding

The NFUโ€™s annual report for 2019 says that membersโ€™ subscriptions and related income was ยฃ33.1 million.51โ€œAnnual Review 2019,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Affiliations

The NFU is divided into regions and NFU Cymru covers Wales.

The NFU is listed as a Key Partner in a BASF booklet, โ€œWorking for Sustainable Farming in Europe.โ€ The Union has also visited Rawcliffe Bridge and The Grange, two family farms that have partnerships with BASF. In 2019, BASFโ€™s Agricultural Sustainability Manager, Mike Green, delivered a speech at the NFUโ€™s 2019 national conference.52โ€œWorking for sustainable farming in Europe,โ€ The Farm Network, a BASF Partnership. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 53โ€œKey influencers, schools and general public,โ€ BASF. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/GRR49 54โ€œIt was great to see our very own @MikeGreenSustAg at #NFU19 this week talking about how the production and delivery of environmental services could go hand in hand #AgBalance #NaturalCapital,โ€ Tweet by @BASFcropUK, February 22, 2019. Retrieved from Twitter.com. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.

In 2013, the NFU supported a legal challenge by Syngenta to the European Commissionโ€™s ban on neonicotinoid pesticides, and has promoted the companyโ€™s campaigns.55Philip Case. โ€œNFU backs Syngentaโ€™s EU neonic legal challenge,โ€ Farmers Weekly, November 21, 2013. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/SpneG 56โ€œSyngenta campaign aims to reduce pesticide product drift,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/M8xe1

In 2020, the NFU supported an appeal by Bayer against the European Unionโ€™s ban on the outdoor use of neonicotinoids.57Philip Case. โ€œBayer and NFU battling to overturn neonicotinoids ban,โ€ Farmers Weekly, June 4, 2020. Archived August 12, 2020. Archive.fo URL: http://archive.fo/RwhG9

The British Agriculture Bureau (BAB) is the NFUโ€™s office in Brussels. The group also represents NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland, the Ulster Farmers Union and the National Pig Association. In the financial year November 2018 to October 2019, BAB spent between โ‚ฌ600,00 and โ‚ฌ699,999 in lobbying costs, according to LobbyFacts.eu, and is affiliated with COPA-COGECA. During the coronavirus pandemic, BAB expressed scepticism towards the EUโ€™s green ambitions and climate neutrality goals.58โ€œAn introduction to the NFUs in Brussels office,โ€ National Farmers Union. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/kKcDF 59โ€œBritish Agriculture Bureau,โ€ LobbyFactsEU. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/eVrru 60โ€œBritish Agriculture Bureau update,โ€ Farming Life, June 1, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/FJUFa

The NFU is listed as a member of farmerโ€™s union COPA, which is half of the EU group COPA-COGECA.61โ€œCOPAโ€™s member organisations,โ€ COPA-COGECA. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/731eC

The NFU is among a number of industry groups that pay the PR firm Front Foot Communication to run the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Science and Technology in Agriculture.62Barney McIntyre and Guy Taylor, โ€œThe fight over rewilding,โ€ Tortoise, January 8, 2023. Archived June 26, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kGmfr Members of Parliament and peers which are part of this group promote โ€œsustainable intensificationโ€ of agriculture, arguing it will promote higher yields while reducing environmental impacts. Campaigners worry that this is a way of preserving industrial farming, using high inputs of pesticides and fertilisers. Since 2016, Front Foot Communications has paid ยฃ102,006 in benefits in kind to members of the APPG.

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Resources

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