On the day the national larder would run empty if we only ate food produced in the UK from 1 January, the NFU is highlighting the importance of upholding and increasing the nation's self-sufficiency levels. This is crucial to help bolster food security, something the government has outlined as critical to our national infrastructure.
According to 2023 Defra figures, the UK is 62% self-sufficient in food. While this reflects similar levels of the past decade, some sectors have seen a recent decline.
For example, the UK's self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables – key in supporting the health of our nation – is at its lowest since records began in 1988 at 53%.
This year, farmers and growers have experienced some of the wettest winters and springs on record which has put untold pressure on food production and contributed to a collapse in farm business confidence, causing a dramatic decline in the area planted of cereals for the 2024 harvest.
Global pressure on food systems
At the same time, record-breaking global temperatures have impacted key exporting countries across the world. Imports make up 84% of fresh tomatoes on sale in the UK, yet tomato imports from Spain and Morocco fell by 17% in February 2023 compared to the five-year average. In the same time period, imports of lettuce varieties fell by more than 36%, contributing to shortages on shop shelves as UK production also fell.
With global and climatic instability putting pressure on food systems all over the world, the NFU is looking to work with the new government to put domestic food production at the centre of its missions around climate resilience, economic growth and the nation's health.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said that while food from other countries will always form a proportion of our daily diets, "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 home-grown foods, we do."
Chipping away at business confidence
Tom highlighted the volatility experienced by farmers, with extreme weather, significant reductions in direct farm support payments and unsustainably high production costs due to the war in Ukraine impacting businesses.
The NFU has welcomed the government's recognition that food security is critical to national security and has emphasised the need for the "right policy framework and investment to boost confidence and resilience so we can withstand climate and economic shocks".
Source: nfuonline.com