The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a UK government department established in 2001. A state-owned entity with approximately 6,060 employees headquartered in the UK, Defra's responsibilities encompass policy and regulation across a range of areas. These include environmental protection and pollution control, biodiversity and the natural environment, sustainable development and the green economy, food production and farming, fisheries, animal health and welfare, and rural community issues.