A shadow environment minister will discuss food security issues at a major Norfolk farming event next week - after the government were unable to provide a speaker.

Daniel Zeichner, who is also the Labour MP for Cambridge, has been announced as the keynote speaker for the Norfolk Farming Conference, being held at the Norfolk Showground on November 30.

Organisers had hoped a Defra minister would be able to join the discussion, but none were able to accept the invitation.

Charles Whitaker, managing partner at Brown and Co, one of the event's sponsors, said: “There has been a major upheaval in British politics over recent months and an apparent lack of policy direction from Defra at a time of what is widely accepted as a global and UK food crisis (availability, cost of production, climate emergency).

“As a result, there has never been a greater need for a sense of balance in agriculture and environment policy, trade engagement with the EU and clear direction for our region’s farmers and growers.

“It is perhaps symptomatic of the current government’s lack of awareness of the impact caused by the invasion of Ukraine on the huge costs of production inflation on food and agriculture and how that influences land use and UK food production, that Defra was unable to find a speaker for this important farm policy conference.”

Mr Zeichner will kick-start the day’s first session entitled "Trade – Challenges and Opportunities".

He said: “I am delighted to be meeting farmers and land managers at this very testing time for everyone involved in farming and food production.

“I will be reaffirming Labour’s commitment to make, buy and sell more in the UK, hugely important, as food security becomes ever more significant in an uncertain world.”

Mark Nicholas is managing director of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA), which is hosting and co-organising the conference as it returns for the first time since February 2019.

He said: “We are thrilled with our line-up of speakers at the conference, which is seeing ticket sales far exceed expectations.

“We are looking forward to hearing Mr Zeichner open the first session with what promises to be an interesting commentary on the tension of free trade agreements and the agricultural sector.

“The entire day promises to offer some exciting discussion and debate of the topical issues of the agricultural industry and the challenges faced by our farmers.”

For more information and ticket bookings see norfolkfarmingconference.org.