In Paris on 12 February 2026, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds set out the case that food security is national security, and argued the quickest gains will come from a pragmatic sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU. Speaking at the British Ambassador’s Residence, she underlined partnership with France and a commitment to high standards. (gov.uk)

The political space exists. On 13 November 2025, EU governments authorised the European Commission to open negotiations with the UK on an SPS area and to explore linking emissions trading schemes, building on a Common Understanding reached at the UK‑EU summit on 19 May 2025. (consilium.europa.eu)

The Channel is a daily lifeline for fresh, high‑value produce. Reynolds noted France exports over €7bn of agri‑food to the UK each year, while UK producers send more than €3bn the other way-evidence that supply chains are deeply interwoven. (gov.uk)

What would the deal change? The government says cutting most routine checks and red tape could add up to £5.1bn a year to the UK economy by making trade faster and cheaper. In her speech, Reynolds highlighted how more than €300m of French cheese and over €500m of UK fish could move more quickly with simplified procedures. (gov.uk)

Standards are the hinge. Brussels’ mandate is to reduce friction by aligning SPS rules; London’s line is that openness must not weaken animal welfare or environmental protections. The negotiations will need to show that smoother borders and strong safeguards can sit together. (consilium.europa.eu)

Climate pressure makes the timing sharper. European Environment Agency tracking shows that in 2024 around 601,000 km² across the EU experienced below‑average soil moisture, with 87,567 km² of cropland under‑performing-warning signs for yields and prices. (eea.europa.eu)

The UK’s exposure is clear. The Met Office reports 2025 as the UK’s warmest year on record, alongside the hottest summer on record-conditions now far likelier because of human‑driven warming-pushing seasons towards hotter, drier summers and erratic rainfall. (metoffice.gov.uk)

Farm finances are already feeling it. New analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit estimates an £828m revenue shortfall for arable farmers in 2025 after record heat and drought hit wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape-roughly a 20% drop versus the 10‑year average. (eciu.net)

Government evidence points in the same direction. Defra’s UK Food Security Report 2024 flags climate change, biodiversity loss and water stress as long‑term risks to availability and affordability, and provides the statutory evidence base that ministers must update every three years. (gov.uk)

Financing nature is part of the fix. The UK and France co‑launched the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits and, in July 2025, pledged matched funding to help build high‑integrity markets-an avenue to reward farms for restoring hedgerows, peat and habitats alongside food production. (gov.uk)

Resilience also needs risk‑sharing. An EIB‑supported study finds climate‑related farm income losses in the EU average €28.3bn a year and recommends scaling insurance, rapid‑response funding and catastrophe bonds to cushion shocks-tools that can dovetail with on‑farm measures like soil cover, water storage and diversified rotations. (eib.org)

The upshot for readers: if SPS talks advance, expect fewer costly veterinary steps and faster clearances; if heat and drought persist, contingency sourcing and on‑farm resilience matter more. Either way, the UK‑France axis is pointing towards a workable mix-cut friction, keep standards high, and invest in nature so harvests hold up in tougher weather. (consilium.europa.eu)