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A new report has raised concern over the ‘neglected potential of the agri-food sector in the UK' which highlighted the gap between skills requirements and skills provision in agriculture. 

The Lifelong Education Institute (LEI) - an organisation which supports education and skills policy - has released its Hungry to Learn: Lifelong Learning Pathways for the Agri-food Sector report which found the Government does not offer ‘consistent, sector-wide, support and skills investment in the agri-food sector'.

In conjunction with Harper Adams University and the School of Sustainable Food and Farming, the study showed how innovative structures of learning and skills training can help 'generate and attract the learner talent the sector needs to help establish the UK as a global leader in agricultural production and sustainable food systems'.

Dr Marius Ostrowski, author of the report and executive director of the LEI, said the UK needs an economy founded on 'sustainability and resilience' - with the agri-food sector having a vital role to play in overcoming current strategic threats faced from global conflict, climate change and the cost-of-living crisis.

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"The agri-food sector holds the key to putting the UK economy on a secure and stable footing," Dr Ostrowski added.

"But it cannot do so without major investment in the skills which underpin its future productivity.

"Government and business need to work with education providers to build a bottom-to-top system of agri-food training, up-skilling, and career progression fit for the 21st century.

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"This report shows the seeds of a renaissance in UK agri-food.

"It is up to policymakers to determine if its recommendations find fertile ground."

The report suggested the Government should look to categorise food security, accessibility, and sustainability as a 'public good' and give the agri-food sector the status of a 'strategic industry' - which would help 'unlock funds and change its approach to employment and skills development'.

Professor Ken Sloan, vice-chancellor of Harper Adams University, said taking action on the report could help achieve an 'uplift in skills, innovation and efficiency across the food and farming sectors'.

"Being able to feed all of our population, in as equitable way as possible, with nutritious sustainably produced food, is of the utmost importance both in the UK and around world," he added.

"99.2 per cent of our students take up employment within the sectors we serve, with alumni from Harper Adams University accounting for 25 per cent of graduate positions within UK food and farming.

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"This is a strong basis on which to help shape the provision of life long skills acquisition and development across these sectors and Hungry To Learn provides some tangible recommendations to help shape this critical sector for the better."

In response to the report, Farming Minister Mark Spencer said the Government wants to help get more young people inspired to join the agricultural sector, and one of the ways to do this is by putting the 'best system possible in place'.

Additionally, Shadow Food Minister Daniel Zeichner said there is a real opportunity with the lifelong learning agenda to have a 'consistent focus on skills and to make a transition to different types of farming the UK needs to upskill and retrain those working in the agricultural sector'.

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NFU vice-president David Exwood welcomed the report at a time when the agricultural sector needs to offer a career path and progression opportunities to 'attract' people into the industry.

Former Defra Secretary George Eustice said the Government's food strategy - published in July 2022 - had set out a new industrial strategy for UK agriculture with new investment in business-led research, grants and incentives to support more sustainable production while developing the skills of the future.  

However, Mr Eustice said Hungry to Learn made many policy recommendations which would add a 'powerful contribution' to the debate.

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"A series of global crises has exposed the folly of these presumptions and brought a renewed focus on the critical importance of domestic food production," he added.

"This excellent paper by the Lifelong Education Institute builds on an all-important skills agenda.

"The idea of a National College in agriculture that would support lifelong learning and ensure more students progressed to level three qualifications has been mooted for some time, and the report is right to identify this as a vitally important priority.

"We also need to raise the status of the agri-food industry and change attitudes among those giving careers advice

"While global food security depends both on both diversified production and open markets, national resilience only comes from having a profitable domestic agri-food industry in the UK and a growing agricultural output.

"There has never been a time where our food system and the importance of domestic output to our national security has attracted such attention, and it is important to ensure this translates into concrete progress."

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