Investment in Innovation

Alongside the myriad of issues which will be addresses (including, among other things, fairness, acknowledgement of the specific challenges of tenant farmers, and planning), there are some clear shorter-term commitment.

Alongside the new £53m announced on the same day, there is an increased commitment of £15m in the Genetic Improvement Networks from 2026, as well as a National Soil Monitoring baseline and the deployment of a TB cattle vaccine, with a view to being TB free.

Funding and research will also be targeted towards projects that reduce livestock emissions, including selective breeding, methane suppressing feed products and novel grazing regimes, enabling productivity through improved nutrient management and support for integrated pest management and agroecological approaches

The Role of Regulation

Part of the building on confidence includes the provision of “enabling regulations” for which the UK is famed. The Roadmap commits to delivering the Precision Breeding Regulations (2025) for precision-bred plants, as well as modernising fertiliser legislation alongside the devolved administrations, and developing a regulations and standards hub for agri-robotics.

Right now, the Roadmap is for England only. There are undoubtedly opportunities for stronger alignment with policies in Scotland Wales and N Ireland particularly where innovation, regulation and markets intersect.

So, finally we have the long-awaited  “North star” of the direction of travel for the industry. If this is indeed the agri-food industry of 2050, the future is looking rosy.

Let’s hope the journey isn’t strewn with too many thorns.

You can read the entire Roadmap on the Government’s website.