Royal Society responds to launch of consultation on Land Use Framework

31 January 2025

Responding to the launch of the Government's Land Use Framework for England consultation, Professor Sir Charles Godfray FRS, Chair of the Royal Society's Multifunctional Land Use report, said: 

"The Royal Society’s report highlighted the multiple demands on the UK’s limited land and the importance of considering policy in different areas within the same context.  It called for an approach that made full use of spatial data and that employed modern analytical approaches to minimise negative trade-offs and maximise synergies.  It (and other reports) advocated for a National Land Use Framework

"I greatly welcome the consultation for a Land Use Framework for England announced this morning by Steve Reed, Defra’s Secretary of State.  It incorporates much of what the Multifunctional Land Use report argued for, and now sensibly seeks to canvas input from multiple stakeholders over a 12-week consultation.

"The Royal Society stands ready to contribute to the consultation to ensure the Framework makes use of the very best natural and social sciences.

"This is a critical time for thinking about the future of land use, farming, nature and the rural economy – for the sake of future generations we must get this right.”

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Blog post: A Land Use Framework for England