The UK’s self-sufficiency in food production must not be allowed to decline – and should be increased where it can, farming leaders are warning.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is marking “self-sufficiency day” – the day of the year when the nation’s supplies would run out if Britons only ate food produced domestically – on Wednesday, with a call for action to bolster the UK’s food security.
The organisation points to figures from the Environment Department (Defra) which show the UK is 62% self-sufficient in food.
While that covers all foods, including produce such as bananas that cannot be grown in the UK, and is of a level that has been stable for a decade or more, the NFU warns some sectors have seen recent declines.
The UK’s self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables is at its lowest since records began in 1988, at 53%, the NFU said, while the country is only 16% self-sufficient in fresh fruit, and 62% self-sufficient in potatoes in 2023, down from 74% in 2021.
This year, farmers and growers have suffered one of the wettest winters and springs on record, while record-breaking temperatures have hit key exporting countries across the world, as the climate crisis bites, the NFU said.
And British farmers face significant reductions in farm support payments as the UK shifts away from the old EU system of subsidies to – in England – paying landowners for public goods such as healthy soil, clean water and habitat creation and high production costs due to the war in Ukraine.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “Food from other countries will always form a proportion of our daily diets, but we must recognise the vulnerability of global food supply chains and the importance of a stable food supply here at home to our nation’s health, as well as its vital contribution to our economy.
“Farmers produce the raw ingredients that underpin our food and drink sector, the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, worth £146 billion and employing more than four million people.
“That is why investment in Britain’s farming sector is so important, so where we can increase self-sufficiency in homegrown foods, we do.”
Mr Bradshaw welcomed the Labour Government’s statements that food security is critical to national security, and called for an increased, multi-year budget for agriculture for the duration of the Parliament and a statutory commitment to ensure UK self-sufficiency does not drop below its current levels.
The NFU also wants a food security impact assessment for all policies and regulations that affect agriculture and horticulture and delivery of Labour’s manifesto commitment for half of all food purchased across the public sector to be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards.
The Government must ensure all food imports are produced to the same standards as those British farmers are required to meet, and there should be a “seamless” transition to new environmental schemes that are open to all farmers and growers, the organisation said.
And it called for updates to national planning policy to favour food production and for measures to support growth in the UK horticulture sector.
Mr Bradshaw said: “On this self-sufficiency day, we want to highlight the importance of boosting Britain’s ability to produce its own food so families across the country continue to have access to healthy, balanced and affordable meals – something we all have a right to.”
A Government spokesperson said: “This Government recognises that food security is national security.
“That is why we will restore stability and confidence amongst the sector by introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth and strengthen our food security alongside nature’s recovery.
“We will protect farmers from being undercut in trade deals, make the supply chain work more fairly and prevent shock rises in bills by switching on GB Energy. In addition, we will optimise our farming schemes to make sure they are delivering for food security and nature recovery.”
