Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

We are responsible for improving and protecting the environment. We aim to grow a green economy and sustain thriving rural communities. We also support our world-leading food, farming and fishing industries. Defra is a ministerial department, supported by 34 agencies and public bodies.

Website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs

Ministers

• The Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP
  Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• The Rt Hon Lord Benyon
  Minister of State (Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs)
• The Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP
  Minister of State (Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries)
• Trudy Harrison MP
  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Natural Environment and Land Use)
• Rebecca Pow MP
  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience)

Petitions linked to this department

Sorted by date, most recent first

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• Make it illegal to have a bonfire until after 7pm
  Open from Thursday 28th August 2025 to Saturday 28th February 2026
  33 signatures

• Make pasteurisation labelling mandatory on all dairy products in the UK
  Open from Wednesday 27th August 2025 to Friday 27th February 2026
  28 signatures

• Update Animal Welfare Act 2006's scope for duty of care to include invertebrates
  Open from Wednesday 20th August 2025 to Friday 20th February 2026
  130 signatures

• Levy Water Companies to Fund Year-Round Water Testing to Safeguard Public Health
  Open from Wednesday 20th August 2025 to Friday 20th February 2026
  163 signatures

• Ban plastic hangers: help Save Earth, protect wildlife
  Open from Wednesday 20th August 2025 to Friday 20th February 2026
  97 signatures

• Require all wildlife rehabilitators to be licensed and regulated
  Open from Wednesday 13th August 2025 to Friday 13th February 2026
  85 signatures

• Require all food products to show potassium levels on their packaging
  Open from Wednesday 13th August 2025 to Friday 13th February 2026
  118 signatures

• Ban plastic stickers on fruit and vegetables sold in the UK
  Open from Wednesday 13th August 2025 to Friday 13th February 2026
  310 signatures

• End all EU fishing rights in UK waters until France stops small boats
  Open from Monday 11th August 2025 to Wednesday 11th February 2026
  2,273 signatures

• Ban the boiling of live crabs and other crustaceans
  Open from Monday 11th August 2025 to Wednesday 11th February 2026
  306 signatures

• Change law to treat police dog deaths as equivalent to deaths of police officers
  Open from Thursday 7th August 2025 to Saturday 7th February 2026
  124 signatures

• Ban removal of non-commercial trees unless proven dead or dangerous
  Open from Wednesday 6th August 2025 to Friday 6th February 2026
  62 signatures

• Levy per carcass to fund independent continuous abattoir CCTV monitoring
  Open from Tuesday 5th August 2025 to Thursday 5th February 2026
  337 signatures

• Review protections for important trees: amend Forestry Act & list heritage trees
  Open from Monday 4th August 2025 to Wednesday 4th February 2026
  11,714 signatures

• Ban the use of sound-emitting cat deterrent devices
  Open from Monday 4th August 2025 to Wednesday 4th February 2026
  197 signatures

• Make Carbohydrate content mandatory on restaurant and pub menus.
  Open from Monday 4th August 2025 to Wednesday 4th February 2026
  6,296 signatures

• Require Ofwat to cap water bills during water shortages & increase reinvestment
  Open from Friday 1st August 2025 to Sunday 1st February 2026
  67 signatures

• Make it a specific criminal offence to walk dogs on hot pavements and roads
  Open from Friday 1st August 2025 to Sunday 1st February 2026
  54 signatures

• Introduce a 30% tax on all non-stun slaughter produce
  Open from Friday 1st August 2025 to Sunday 1st February 2026
  722 signatures

• Certify & Remove VAT on bee-friendly plants to support pollinator conservation
  Open from Thursday 31st July 2025 to Saturday 31st January 2026
  88 signatures

• Fund wheelchairs and changing places facilities for beaches
  Open from Wednesday 30th July 2025 to Friday 30th January 2026
  163 signatures

• Ban all types of wire snares
  Open from Wednesday 30th July 2025 to Friday 30th January 2026
  204 signatures

• Mandate Ethical Rehoming for Lab and Breeding Animals by 2025
  Open from Tuesday 29th July 2025 to Thursday 29th January 2026
  1,228 signatures

• Make SuDS mandatory for all new developments
  Open from Monday 28th July 2025 to Wednesday 28th January 2026
  43 signatures

• Revoke Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 & the 2023 Act
  Open from Monday 28th July 2025 to Wednesday 28th January 2026
  54 signatures

• Government Funding for Nationwide Bluetongue Testing
  Open from Friday 25th July 2025 to Sunday 25th January 2026
  295 signatures

• Require restaurants to offer a non-religiously slaughtered meat option
  Open from Friday 25th July 2025 to Sunday 25th January 2026
  4,077 signatures

• Require coconut to be included on food and toiletries labelling

• Require coconut to be included on food and toiletries labelling
  Open from Friday 25th July 2025 to Sunday 25th January 2026
  34 signatures

• Grant Rivers and Rias in England Legal Personhood
  Open from Tuesday 22nd July 2025 to Thursday 22nd January 2026
  5,236 signatures

• Regulate the use of ultrasonic pest repellent devices in the UK
  Open from Tuesday 22nd July 2025 to Thursday 22nd January 2026
  61 signatures

• Introduce requirement for all dogs to wear humane basket muzzle in public spaces
  Open from Monday 21st July 2025 to Wednesday 21st January 2026
  62 signatures

• Update food allergens list to include nightshade family foods on food labelling
  Open from Thursday 17th July 2025 to Saturday 17th January 2026
  51 signatures

• Mandate that free roaming pet cats must be neutered
  Open from Monday 14th July 2025 to Wednesday 14th January 2026
  5,886 signatures

• Allow the culling of seagulls in urban and commercial areas & prevent nesting
  Open from Wednesday 9th July 2025 to Friday 9th January 2026
  121 signatures

• Reverse the ban on XL Bully dogs

• Reverse the ban on XL Bully dogs
  Open from Wednesday 9th July 2025 to Friday 9th January 2026
  3,013 signatures

• Ban Scissor Traps for Moles and impose fines
  Open from Tuesday 8th July 2025 to Thursday 8th January 2026
  196 signatures

• Ban bottom trawling in all UK waters & ratify UN High Seas Treaty
  Open from Friday 4th July 2025 to Sunday 4th January 2026
  711 signatures

• Fund programme to humanely relocate seals found in rivers
  Open from Thursday 3rd July 2025 to Saturday 3rd January 2026
  190 signatures

• Fund a National Climate Resilience Plan: protect communities from climate impact
  Open from Wednesday 2nd July 2025 to Friday 2nd January 2026
  10,844 signatures

• Ban all Nitrates and Nitrites in all meat products & require dry curing instead
  Open from Wednesday 2nd July 2025 to Friday 2nd January 2026
  57 signatures

• Make it an offence for a person's dog to kill another pet and prosecute owners
  Open from Wednesday 2nd July 2025 to Friday 2nd January 2026
  61,701 signatures

• Require all dog groomers to have formal qualifications
  Open from Tuesday 1st July 2025 to Thursday 1st January 2026
  26 signatures

• Fund litter-picking stations on all public beaches
  Open from Tuesday 1st July 2025 to Thursday 1st January 2026
  49 signatures

• Require collaboration between social services and animal welfare to protect dogs
  Open from Friday 27th June 2025 to Saturday 27th December 2025
  54 signatures

• Ban horse-drawn hackney carriages
  Open from Thursday 26th June 2025 to Friday 26th December 2025
  57 signatures

• Ban the use of aversive dog training tools
  Open from Monday 23rd June 2025 to Tuesday 23rd December 2025
  2,397 signatures

• Require all food of US origin to be labelled for transparency
  Open from Thursday 19th June 2025 to Friday 19th December 2025
  91 signatures

• Scrap the proposed ban on importing puppies under 6 months old
  Open from Monday 16th June 2025 to Tuesday 16th December 2025
  43 signatures

• Ban Trawling in All Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in UK waters
  Open from Monday 16th June 2025 to Tuesday 16th December 2025
  1,834 signatures

• Ban the sale and use of sunscreens containing ingredients that damage corals
  Open from Friday 13th June 2025 to Saturday 13th December 2025
  94 signatures

• Ban the release of balloons and sky lanterns
  Open from Friday 13th June 2025 to Saturday 13th December 2025
  620 signatures

• Require people to undergo a learning course & get a license to own a pet
  Open from Friday 13th June 2025 to Saturday 13th December 2025
  75 signatures

• Mandate Training for Large Land Purchasers to Protect the Countryside
  Open from Thursday 12th June 2025 to Friday 12th December 2025
  77 signatures

• Factor all fish kill from nuclear cooling inlets into fishing quotas
  Open from Tuesday 10th June 2025 to Wednesday 10th December 2025
  70 signatures

• Fund more bins, CCTV, enforcement staff and raise fines to prevent littering
  Open from Tuesday 10th June 2025 to Wednesday 10th December 2025
  69 signatures

• Ban the Ring Flying disc to Protect Our Seals
  Open from Tuesday 10th June 2025 to Wednesday 10th December 2025
  102 signatures

• Create a national pet health service for veterinary care
  Open from Tuesday 10th June 2025 to Wednesday 10th December 2025
  181 signatures

• Ban fishing in 30% of the UK’s coastal waters to allow marine ecosystem recovery
  Open from Monday 9th June 2025 to Tuesday 9th December 2025
  421 signatures

• Ban Private Dog Breeding and Strengthen Penalties for Animal Cruelty
  Open from Friday 6th June 2025 to Saturday 6th December 2025
  219 signatures

• Provide funding for a nationwide, nature-rich river corridor network.
  Open from Wednesday 4th June 2025 to Thursday 4th December 2025
  10,420 signatures

• Allow licences to be issued to wildlife rehabilitators to release grey squirrels
  Open from Wednesday 4th June 2025 to Thursday 4th December 2025
  3,130 signatures

• Ban wing clipping for all birds
  Open from Tuesday 3rd June 2025 to Wednesday 3rd December 2025
  76 signatures

• Require fresh produce to be labelled with pesticides used
  Open from Monday 2nd June 2025 to Tuesday 2nd December 2025
  102 signatures

• Nationalise all water companies
  Open from Monday 2nd June 2025 to Tuesday 2nd December 2025
  732 signatures

• Create a maximum height requirement for the XL Bully ban
  Open from Monday 2nd June 2025 to Tuesday 2nd December 2025
  28 signatures

• Review and strengthen mandatory allergy training for all food industry staff
  Open from Friday 30th May 2025 to Sunday 30th November 2025
  1,562 signatures

• Ban the use of audible propane bird scarers
  Open from Wednesday 28th May 2025 to Friday 28th November 2025
  170 signatures

• Temporary Ban on agricultural use of sewage cake
  Open from Wednesday 28th May 2025 to Friday 28th November 2025
  1,146 signatures

• Require vets to check cats and dogs recorded microchip details yearly
  Open from Tuesday 27th May 2025 to Thursday 27th November 2025
  47 signatures

• Ban single-use expanded polypropylene packaging
  Open from Tuesday 27th May 2025 to Thursday 27th November 2025
  199 signatures

• Stop the importation of honey bees into GB from the EU via Northern Ireland
  Open from Tuesday 27th May 2025 to Thursday 27th November 2025
  1,523 signatures

• Fund access to bicycles for children so they can live active and healthy lives
  Open from Tuesday 27th May 2025 to Thursday 27th November 2025
  76 signatures

• End regional monopolies in the water sector
  Open from Tuesday 20th May 2025 to Thursday 20th November 2025
  56 signatures

• Random Microchip Checks and Harsher Penalties for Abandoning Cats
  Open from Tuesday 20th May 2025 to Thursday 20th November 2025
  176 signatures

• Ban the sale and planting of the invasive plant: Spanish Bluebell + hybrids
  Open from Tuesday 20th May 2025 to Thursday 20th November 2025
  39 signatures

• Require all vets to open at weekends
  Open from Friday 16th May 2025 to Sunday 16th November 2025
  45 signatures

• Give vets powers to seize animals if there is neglect or abuse & punish owners
  Open from Monday 12th May 2025 to Wednesday 12th November 2025
  762 signatures

• Repeal the Hunting Act 2004
  Open from Monday 12th May 2025 to Wednesday 12th November 2025
  34 signatures

• Revoke the Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations
  Open from Friday 9th May 2025 to Sunday 9th November 2025
  66 signatures

• Owners to be able to claim compensation for pet suffering due to vet negligence
  Open from Thursday 8th May 2025 to Saturday 8th November 2025
  109 signatures

• Require reptile shops to ensure higher standards in reptile care and equipment
  Open from Wednesday 7th May 2025 to Friday 7th November 2025
  62 signatures

• Remove the ‘right to roam’ status applicable to domesticated cats
  Open from Tuesday 6th May 2025 to Thursday 6th November 2025
  268 signatures

• Require flea treatment packaging to include warnings about toxicity
  Open from Friday 2nd May 2025 to Sunday 2nd November 2025
  75 signatures

• Greatly reduce the duty and tax charged on beer.
  Open from Thursday 1st May 2025 to Saturday 1st November 2025
  50 signatures

• Require prospective pet owners to be tested by an animal professional
  Open from Thursday 1st May 2025 to Saturday 1st November 2025
  41 signatures

• Regulate the sale of high sugar, artificially coloured sweets to children
  Open from Wednesday 30th April 2025 to Thursday 30th October 2025
  34 signatures

• Fund campaign and incentives to prioritise British food and reduce food miles
  Open from Wednesday 30th April 2025 to Thursday 30th October 2025
  75 signatures

• Protect hares and their young from shooting during the breeding season
  Open from Tuesday 29th April 2025 to Wednesday 29th October 2025
  56,415 signatures

• Ban all zoos
  Open from Monday 28th April 2025 to Tuesday 28th October 2025
  53 signatures

• Ban herbicides containing Glyphosate to protect people, food and the environment
  Open from Friday 25th April 2025 to Saturday 25th October 2025
  473 signatures

• Ban the production and sale of small animal cages
  Open from Friday 25th April 2025 to Saturday 25th October 2025
  795 signatures

• Require producers to declare how much metal is in food, drink and supplements
  Open from Thursday 24th April 2025 to Friday 24th October 2025
  277 signatures

• Require an expert to examine a pet before seizure under the Dangerous Dogs Act
  Open from Wednesday 23rd April 2025 to Thursday 23rd October 2025
  227 signatures

• Strengthen the Animal Welfare Act 2006
  Open from Tuesday 22nd April 2025 to Wednesday 22nd October 2025
  21,391 signatures

• Reinstate the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) to support farmers and nature
  Open from Tuesday 22nd April 2025 to Wednesday 22nd October 2025
  182 signatures

• Fund planting more hedgerows to increase biodiversity
  Open from Tuesday 22nd April 2025 to Wednesday 22nd October 2025
  51 signatures

• Legalise Bow Hunting
  Open from Thursday 17th April 2025 to Friday 17th October 2025
  127 signatures

• Require companies to use AI modelling instead of animal testing if possible
  Open from Thursday 17th April 2025 to Friday 17th October 2025
  106 signatures

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