UK fruit and vegetable growers are demanding urgent action on agricultural water storage as drought puts increasing pressure on domestic food production.
More than two-thirds of England has recently been declared in drought, according to project partners, prompting calls for water storage to be recognised as strategic infrastructure and food security given greater weight in national water policy.
The demands will be taken to the House of Lords on November 17, when growers, Morrisons and Harper Adams University will present recommendations developed through a year-long collaboration. Former NFU president Minette Batters will host the event.
Growers involved in the project say low rainfall and high temperatures are already affecting crop production and water availability, while uncertainty over future supplies is making it harder to commit to investment in long-term resilience.
A central demand is for planning and funding arrangements to make it easier for growers to capture water when supplies are plentiful and store it for prolonged dry periods.
Jon Hammond, director of Hammond Produce, said water availability had become fundamental to domestic food production.
“You cannot talk about food security without talking about water security. Every fruit and vegetable grower understands the importance of managing water responsibly, but the reality is that the challenges are becoming greater and more frequent,” he said.
The project has identified four priorities: giving food security greater prominence in water policy, supporting agricultural water storage, taking a more integrated approach to water quality and availability, and increasing investment in research and innovation.
Alex Hardie, business development manager at Harper Adams University’s School of Sustainable Food & Farming, said: “Water is no longer simply an environmental issue. It is a food security issue, an economic issue and an investment issue.”
The group will use the Lords event to press parliamentarians for clearer recognition of food production in water policy, greater support for storage and regulatory certainty for growers.
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