Chris Hinchliff MP calls for action to secure future of British farming

Chris Hinchliff MP, Member of Parliament for North East Hertfordshire—a constituency where 90% of the land is agricultural—has issued a call to action for the future of British farming. 

Mr Hinchliff said: “For far too long our farmers have been left to carry the weight of wider societal problems. They have been expected to simultaneously provide the public goods we need and to sell their produce at such a low price that politicians don’t have to grapple with a failing economic model responsible for low wages, unaffordable housing and rip-off utilities. This cannot continue.” 

In the report published by Mr Hinchliff, called Policy Shifts to Deliver a Transformative 25-Year Roadmap for Farming, the MP welcomed the government’s commitment to a 25-year farming roadmap but insisted it must deliver big policy shifts to align with the national Food Strategy and restore profitability, resilience, and sustainability to UK farming. 

‘Farming is not just a business’

Alongside, he is calling on the government to ensure reforms to Agricultural Property Relief work fairly and build a fairer supply chain. 

The MP is proposing new ‘Contracts for Food Security’. He explained: “Food security is no less essential than energy security, and farming practices that restore nature are as important as the transition to renewable energy.

“Therefore, a 25-year roadmap for farming that is serious about making genuine food security profitable to produce should establish new Contracts for Food Security, based on the Contracts for Difference mechanism in the energy sector, providing certainty through price floors for key produce necessary to meet the nation’s nutritional needs.” 

Mr Hinchliff said that his proposals are grounded in extensive conversations with farmers across North East Hertfordshire, as well as insights from organisations such as the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, the CPRE, and the Land Workers Alliance.

The report addresses key aspects of farm policy, focusing on supporting farm profitability and improving working conditions, while also reducing barriers to entry for new farmers. It further outlines ambitious proposals to strengthen food security, promote nature recovery, and enhance agricultural research.

“Farming is not just a business—it’s a foundation of our culture and our national wellbeing. This roadmap must empower farmers to thrive, not just scrape by. 

This roadmap would ensure the Labour Government’s mission to “make work pay” includes a bright future for farmers and farm workers,” the MP concluded. 

Read the full report here.

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