Industry representatives will take their water resilience proposals to the House of Lords on 17 November
UK fruit and vegetable growers are demanding urgent action on agricultural water storage as worsening drought conditions put domestic food production under increasing pressure.
More than two-thirds of England has recently been declared in drought, according to the project partners, prompting calls for water storage to be treated as strategic infrastructure and food security to carry greater weight in national water policy.
Those demands will be taken to the House of Lords on 17 November, where growers, Morrisons and Harper Adams University will press policymakers for changes to the way agriculture is considered in future water planning.
Former NFU president Minette Batters will host the event.
It follows a year-long collaboration involving growers, supply chain businesses and the School of Sustainable Food & Farming at Harper Adams University.
Industry representatives say low rainfall and high temperatures are already affecting crop production, water availability and longer-term planning.
Growers argue that uncertainty over future supplies also makes it harder to commit to major investments intended to make businesses more resilient.
A central demand is for agricultural water storage to be recognised as strategic infrastructure.
The industry wants planning and funding arrangements that make it easier for growers to capture water when it is plentiful and store it for use during prolonged dry periods.
It is also calling for food production and food security to be given greater prominence when national water policy is developed.
Jon Hammond, director of Hammond Produce, said water availability had become fundamental to the future of domestic 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.
Hammond said stronger policy support was needed if growers were expected to make long-term investments.
“If we want to maintain a strong domestic food sector, we need policies that support investment in water storage, provide regulatory certainty and recognise food production as a national priority,” he said.
The project has identified four main priorities, covering food security in water policy, greater support for water storage, closer consideration of water quality and availability, and more investment in research.
It argues that water quality and quantity should be considered together through a more integrated approach to catchment management.
The group is also seeking greater investment in research, innovation and knowledge exchange to help agriculture adapt to changing conditions.
Alex Hardie, Business Development Manager at the School of Sustainable Food & Farming, said growers involved in the project had raised similar concerns across the country.
“The conversations we've had with growers across the UK have been remarkably consistent. Water is no longer simply an environmental issue. It is a food security issue, an economic issue and an investment issue,” he said.
He added that growers wanted to play a role in improving resilience but needed greater confidence that policy and regulation would support long-term investment.
Morrisons Agriculture Manager Alice Liddle said the project had brought together growers, industry experts and policymakers to identify measures that could support food production alongside environmental objectives.
“Water resilience is becoming one of the defining challenges facing British agriculture and the long-term security of our food supply,” she said.
The recommendations have been developed through stakeholder interviews, industry workshops and a review of existing evidence involving growers, retailers and water specialists.
The House of Lords event will give the group an opportunity to present those recommendations directly to parliamentarians and other stakeholders.
Growers will be seeking clearer recognition of food production within water policy, stronger support for agricultural water storage and greater regulatory certainty to encourage investment in long-term resilience.