A public evidence session in the inquiry Soil Health.
Session to take place at 2.30pm on Tuesday 13 June 2023 in Committee Room 5
Attend in person or watch on parliamentlive.tv
The current state of the soil we all walk upon and live off will continue to come under scrutiny at the latest session of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s inquiry into soil health.
This session will cross-examine the representatives of several ‘arm’s length’, government-funded bodies with expertise on the subject. They will be asked questions on a range of topics, including:
- the current state of soil health in the UK and what they think of government strategies to improve it – including financial incentive schemes;
- ways consumers and the private sector might influence soil health; and
- future rules and regulations for soil.
Dr Neil Hudson MP, veterinarian and Member of the EFRA Committee said,
“Our cross party EFRA Committee Inquiry on Soil Health continues this coming week with another parliamentary evidence session with expert witnesses. Following our productive visits to the Rothamsted Research Institute in Hertfordshire and the LEAF-accredited Barfoots farm in Essex, we will probing how best we can support the horticultural and agricultural sectors moving forward. Soil health is so pivotal to our rural sectors and the environment we all enjoy. We will then make recommendations to Government to support these vital sectors and help them in their quest for sustainability.”
The witnesses will be from: the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board – an organisation funded by farmers, growers and others in the food supply chain which provides advice to the agricultural community; Natural England, which advises the government on soil health issues and financial incentives to enhance the environment; and the Environment Agency, which among many roles enforces the current laws that protect our soils.
Witnesses (from 2.30pm):
- Professor John Galliland OBE, Special advisor at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)
- Tony Grayling, Director of Sustainable Business and Development, Environment Agency
- Dr Eleanor Reed, Principal Specialist in Soils, Natural England
