Motion or amendment: Recognising the Importance of Food Security

Motion or amendment by Miss Michelle McIlveen on 18 November 2025.

MLA: Miss Michelle McIlveen
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 18 November 2025
Type: Motion or amendment
Business: Motion · Private Members' Motion
Heading: Recognising the Importance of Food Security
Assembly identifier: Document 459646

Read the official Assembly record Open Data source

Text

Recognising the Importance of Food Security
That this Assembly notes the importance of food security; believes food production should be recognised as a strategic asset in Northern Ireland; further notes Northern Ireland’s role in feeding 10 million people; celebrates the food and drink sector generating £4.9 billion Gross Value Added to Northern Ireland; stresses that investing in agriculture is essential for boosting productivity, job creation and delivering progress toward more environmentally sustainable practices; expresses grave concern that agri-food businesses face significant trading barriers as a result of the Windsor Framework and the application of EU law; condemns, in particular, the ongoing threat to the critical supply of veterinary medicines from Great Britain from 1 January 2026, as well as uncertainty surrounding new EU rules on deforestation-free products; highlights that this could undermine animal welfare and the resilience of UK-wide food supply chains; notes that current, aspirational climate targets would see a reduction in livestock numbers; believes that perfection cannot prevent progress; calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to urgently bring proposals to the Executive to reduce Northern Ireland’s interim 2030 and 2040 emissions reduction targets in the interests of protecting food security and a just transition for agriculture; and further calls on the Minister to unlock greater levels of on-farm investment and innovation by providing immediate clarity on ammonia controls within planning, in keeping with the Executive’s Programme for Government.

234 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.