Agriculture

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on agriculture. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
23.07.2013CAP Reform 2014-2020: Reaching Agreement
Political agreement was reached on the major elements of the reform of the Common Agriculural Policy for 2014-2020 on 26 June 2013. This note sets out the main elements of the agreement with stakeholder comment. Some issues are still being discussed at European level following overall EU budget agreements and the flexibility of the reform deal means that key implmenentation decisions are to follow in the UK.
23.07.2013Export of Live Animals within the European Union
This notes summarises the rules governing the export of live animals within EU countries.
12.06.2013EU bibliographies: Food safety legislation: review package
This Note brings together documents relevant to the proposals to strengthen and simplify health and safety standards for the whole agri-food chain and their scrutiny in the UK and EU, published on 6 May 2013. It is not an attempt to define policy in this area. For information on policy developments contact Emma Downing on extn 6787.
05.06.2013Bees and Neonicotinoids
The European Commission is going ahead with proposals to restrict the use of three common neonicotinoids from December 2013 because of their impacts on bees. The UK Government does not support these plans, arguing that the scientific case has not yet been made and the impacts of such restrictions have not been fully assessed. However, the European Food Safety Agency has recently criticised UK field trials used to support the Government's position. This note outlines the policy developments in the context of the scientific evidence and stakeholder comment. It touches on bee health and the overall role of pollinators in the ecosystem and agriculture.
04.06.2013Badger Culling
This note summarises the proposals for allowing farmers in England to cull badgers and the Governments decison to go ahead with a cull, starting with two pilot areas in West Gloucestershire and West Somerset. The cull was postponed until 2012, but licences were for it to go ahead from 1st June 2013

Research Papers

DateDescription
26.07.2012Olympic Britain
Olympic Britain tells the story of the profound economic and social change in the UK since the two previous London Olympics, in 1908 and 1948, using statistics and expert analysis. The book can also be browsed using the Parliament website at www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/olympic-britain/
11.01.2012Daylight Saving Bill: Committee Stage Report
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Daylight Saving Bill.
10.11.2010Sustainable Livestock Bill. Bill 5 of 2010-11 Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bill. Bill 12 of 2010-11
The Sustainable Livestock Bill aims to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production in the UK. It also aims to amend the way agricultural subsidies are used to make them more environmentally friendly. It includes a duty to give consideration to supporting sustainable practices and consumption through public procurement of livestock produce. The Public Bodies (Sustainable Food) Bill would create a duty on the Secretary of State to prepare a Code for Sustainable Food to promote the procurement of healthy and sustainable food by public bodies. This could be made compulsory if uptake was not extensive enough.
14.01.2009Social Indicators
This Research Paper summarises a wide range of social statistics. Subjects covered include crime and justice, defence, education, elections, health and population. This edition of Social Indicators includes an article from the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, Washington , D.C.. This edition includes: Social background of the United States Congress 2009 Local authority finance in a recession 2011 UK Census of Population Underage drinking Excess winter mortality
24.04.2008Social Indicators
Social Indicators. [Includes articles on 'Gambling in New South Wales, Australia' and 'A new era for UK official statistics: the launch of the UK Statistics Authority, and Topical Subject Pages on world food prices, the weather in 2007 and excess winter mortality.] House of Commons Library Research Paper 08/37.

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
19.07.2011Welfare of laying hens directive - implications for the egg industry.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
13.07.2011EU proposals for the dairy industry.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
09.02.2011Farming in the uplands.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
21.07.2010Dairy Farmers of Britain.
Government response. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
10.03.2010Dairy Farmers of Britain.
Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
07.09.2011TENANT FARMERS AND THE UPLANDS ENTRY LEVEL SCHEME
That this House notes the importance of upland farming to UK agriculture, the rural economy, countryside access and the UK's landscape heritage, but acknowledges the very low incomes ...
09.06.2011E. COLI OUTBREAK IN EUROPE AND THE UK CUCUMBER INDUSTRY
That this House notes that no one has caught E. coli from any cucumbers produced in the UK; is deeply concerned for the growers and food businesses in the Lee Valley and across Britain ...
01.04.2011GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY
That this House notes the Government's commitment to spending 11.1 billion towards ensuring global food security and to stimulate sustainable agricultural development at the 2009 L'Aquila ...
10.03.2011DAIRY FARMERS AND THE NATIONAL FARMERS UNION STANDARD MILK CONTRACT
That this House notes that dairy farmers in Morecambe and Lunesdale and across the UK are in many cases falling foul of unreasonable contracts; further notes that legislation is in ...
10.03.2011REGULATION OF SUPER FARMS
That this House notes that so called super farms should be licensed by the Government; and considers that in order to prevent the decimation of the farming community such farms should ...

Lords Library Notes

DateDescription
05.10.2010Debate on 7 October 2010: the Prince's Countryside Fund and support for rural communities. LLN 2010/021
Debate on 7 October 2010: the Prince's Countryside Fund and support for rural communities. House of Lords Library Note 2010/021

POST Papers

DateDescription
12.04.2013Livestock Vaccines
This POSTnote examines the use of vaccines and outlines the pros and cons of using vaccination in livestock.
05.09.2012Balancing Nature and Agriculture
This POSTnote explores two approaches to managing land for balancing nature conservation with sustainable food production. Land sharing integrates the objectives of agriculture and benefits to wildlife on the same land. Land sparing on the other hand separates intensive farming areas from protected natural habitats at larger scales.
15.06.2012GM in Agricultural Development
Almost 2 billion people suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. The UK funds research into genetic modification (GM) as one option for agricultural development. This POSTnote examines the potential benefits and challenges of using genetically modified crops to improve food security in developing countries.
15.05.2012Bioenergy
Bioenergy is the use of renewable natural material for power, heat and liquid fuels. Currently, the UK sources approximately 3% of its primary energy from bioenergy feedstocks. This POSTnote considers the opportunities and challenges of producing bioenergy sustainably to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets.
15.03.2012Livestock Super Farms
This POSTnote examines the current issues surrounding intensification of livestock production in the UK.
12.10.2011Improving livestock
This note describes current technologies used in livestock breeding, research into future technologies and how the improvement of livestock can contribute towards future food security.

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - papers compiled by the House of Lords Library on Bills and for debates in the Lords