Lords’ report aims to boost UK horticulture
A new report into the horticulture industry has been published by the House of Lords, making 167 recommendations that will help boost the sector and achieve the Government’s environmental goals. Foremost among them is the call to put horticulture on the school curriculum, appoint a new minister for the sector, and conduct an impact assessment before banning peat in 2025.
Horticulture employs some 50,000 people and contributes £5 billion to the British economy, yet the report says the sector is under-prioritised and unappreciated, leaving holes in the UK’s food security and ability to achieve net zero. “The sector has an impact on the lives of so many people,” says crossparty committee Chair, Lord Redesdale, “from those who grow plants in pots to companies growing them in huge industrial greenhouses. But horticulture is too frequently overlooked by policymakers.”