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Article by Jen Butcher - AB Agri's Communications and Responsibility Director
As consumers, we like to know our food has been produced close to home because it supports local farmers and meets standards we trust. While that’s important, the true value of food security goes much deeper—it’s about building resilience and responsibility in our food systems.
As climate pressures intensify and global supply chains face persistent risk, countries must ask: how can we feed ourselves securely and affordably, without compromising our values or our environment?
Britain’s agricultural sector is now seeking to address that question. The recent report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture (APPGSTA), Feeding Britain Sustainably to 2050, introduces a strategic framework known as the 30:50:50 mission to:
Increase domestic agricultural output by 30%, achieving 75% food self-sufficiency; and
Reduce the environmental footprint of farming by 50% by 2050.
This mission is not just relevant to Britain — it offers a model for other nations seeking to balance productivity, sustainability, and food security.
Why this matters for Britain — and beyond
British farmers are rightly proud to produce food to some of the highest environmental and animal welfare standards in the world. Yet current climate policy risks creating challenges for the future. By focusing solely on reducing emissions from domestic production—without accounting for the emissions associated with the food we import—the UK may succeed in improving its territorial emissions figures, but only on paper. In reality, this approach risks simply offshoring our environmental impact rather than genuinely reducing it.
At the same time, such a narrow focus could limit the UK’s ability to influence carbon reduction directly, while weakening our food security, undermining global sustainability efforts, and eroding the long‑term integrity of the farming sector.
The 30:50:50 mission helps to correct this. It aligns food production with climate goals, ensuring the UK can:
Feed itself responsibly
Maintain high standards
Reduce global environmental impact
Support rural economies and innovation
A Positive Future for Livestock Agriculture
Livestock farming is often at the centre of environmental debates, but it’s also a sector rich in innovation and essential to rural life. The APPG report highlights the need for:
Smarter regulation to unlock technologies like precision breeding
Protection of productive farmland from competing land-use pressures
Joined-up policy across government departments
Investment in science, data, and skills
These recommendations put livestock agriculture on a solid footing — enabling it to contribute meaningfully to climate goals while continuing to provide high-quality, homegrown food.
As nations grapple with the future of farming, the 30:50:50 mission offers a blueprint for the critical role of agriculture in a changing world. It recognises that food security, environmental stewardship, and economic resilience are not competing goals but must be achieved together, championing an agriculture industry that is proudly productive and proudly responsible – today and for the future.