Former science minister and Mid-Norfolk MP George Freeman has called for a renewed government focus on agri-tech investment, warning that the UK risks undermining one of its most strategically important industries without decisive action.
Speaking at the Croptec Show in Birmingham on 15 January, Freeman urged policymakers to treat agriculture as a critical national asset and to place innovation at the heart of future farming policy. He cautioned that the sector, despite its strengths, is in danger of being “seriously neglected” without a broader reset in approach.
Freeman, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture, highlighted the UK’s position as a global leader in agricultural science, noting that it is home to 10 of the world’s top 30 research institutes. However, he stressed that there remains a significant gap between academic research and its practical application on farms, limiting the real-world impact of innovation.
Drawing on his time in government, he pointed to the creation of the UK’s Agri-Tech Strategy and initiatives such as Agrimetrics, the agri-tech catalyst fund and regional innovation hubs. Despite these efforts, he argued that more must be done to ensure investment translates into tangible benefits for farmers and the wider supply chain.
Freeman also called for the development of a network of regional innovation farms, where producers could access hands-on demonstrations of new technologies and better understand how to implement them in their own operations.
His comments come amid wider concerns about the long-term resilience of UK agriculture. Figures suggest the country has lost 4.4% of its agricultural land over the past 25 years—equivalent to around 771,000 hectares—with projections indicating that up to 23% could be lost by 2050 if current trends continue.
Freeman warned that without a coherent policy framework to support productivity and sustainability, the industry faces mounting risks, including reduced domestic food production, loss of investment opportunities and increased vulnerability to food security shocks. He emphasised the need for cross-party consensus to safeguard the future of the sector and unlock the full potential of UK agri-tech innovation.
