Making an impact on Parliament: advice for the agricultural community

The UK Parliament performs an important role in shaping policies and legislation, including those related to agriculture. Parliamentarians (MPs and Peers) and the staff supporting them want to use evidence to inform the passage of legislation and the scrutiny of government policy since it decreases the chances of making a bad decision. This viewpoint explores how communities of science and practice working in the agricultural sphere can engage with Parliament to ensure that evidence informs decision-making. It makes five recommendations: (1) know how to engage with parliamentary processes, (2) communicate relevant evidence in a clear and concise fashion, (3) ensure that evidence is credible, (4) work with trusted knowledge brokers, and (5) persevere over a long timescale.