UK poultry sector growth plan risks national security, campaigners warn
The UK government's plan to expand poultry production to boost food security is being criticized as a national security risk due to reliance on imported feed and environmental damage.
Campaigners have warned that the UK government's planned growth of the poultry sector poses a threat to national security. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds recently stated at the Groundswell agriculture festival that increasing consumption of homegrown produce is key to improving food security, leading to the establishment of the Farming and Food Partnership Board with industry leaders.
However, Sustain and Communities Against Factory Farming (CAFF) are urging the government to scrap the poultry growth plan. They argue that intensive poultry farming is resource-intensive, polluting, and inefficient. Maya Pardo, campaign lead at CAFF, highlighted that the government's own national security assessment warns that current animal farming levels are unsustainable without imports, with soy from South America accounting for 18% of produced animal feed. This not only destroys the Amazon rainforest but also leaves the UK vulnerable to supply chain shocks.
The government is rewriting planning rules to facilitate the construction of intensive livestock farms despite concerns over water pollution, air quality, and local opposition. Harriet Bell from Riverford organic veg box company emphasized that planning reform must not become a free pass for developments harming water systems, biodiversity, or animal welfare.
Professor Tim Benton of the University of Leeds stated that food security will soon become the 'organizing principle' for agricultural policy, urging the government to recognize that the world is becoming increasingly volatile and events are continuous.
Campaigners advocate focusing on homegrown protein sources such as pulses, legumes, nuts, and beans to enhance food security without import dependency.
