UK self-sufficiency in key foods has fallen over last 30 years, farmers warn

Emily Beament, Press Association Environment Correspondent

The UK’s self-sufficiency in key foods such as wheat, meat and and fresh veg has fallen in the last 30 years, farming leaders warn as they call for action to reverse the trend.

Self-sufficiency in 10 out of 11 everyday foods has fallen, while much of Britain’s food is being produced at a loss, according to a report from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) produced for Back British Farming Day.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw warned “we can’t rely on the rest of the world to feed us” as farmers battle drought, disease and rising costs, as he called for action to support producers, reform planning and set domestic production targets to secure British food security.

The report shows that production of commodities including wheat, oilseed rape, pig meat and fresh vegetables has fallen since 1995, raising the reliance on imports.

And where foods have seen domestic production increase, such as for fresh fruit, eggs and poultry, demand has grown faster still – so that even “success stories” are losing share of their own home market, the NFU warns.

For some products, such as sugar and lamb, both production and demand have fallen roughly in tandem, the research shows.

Agri-food import volumes are up by 70% since the mid-1990s, while export volumes have stalled, the NFU said, increasing reliance on imported food.

The NFU is calling on the Government to set out ambitious targets for domestic food production to reverse the situation, and a set of core production standards that applies to both food produced here and imported, to prevent lower standard food undercutting domestic products.

The call comes in the wake of a devastating summer of drought and heatwaves which is set to cost wheat growers £370 millions, and as livestock farmers battle their worst ever outbreak of bluetongue disease.

Producers also face soaring fuel, fertiliser and energy costs linked to the conflict in Iran, the NFU said.

Farming leaders are calling for a Government-backed, interest-free “keep Britain growing” loan – linked to losses caused by drought – to give farmers working capital to produce food next year, and support to help farmers affected by bluetongue meet rising costs of disposing of fallen stock.

Mr Bradshaw said: “Our report today paints a stark picture of falling production and an increasing reliance on imported food while at the same time the world is becoming more unstable.

“Successive governments have sleepwalked into making it harder to produce food at home, leaving Britain increasingly reliant on imports produced to standards that would be illegal here,” he warned.

He said the food scare over eggs in recent weeks was a “tragic reminder of what happens when we get this wrong”.

And he said: “Farmers are battling devastating drought, disease outbreaks and soaring costs.

“At the same time, policy uncertainty, chronic underinvestment and a restrictive planning system are eroding Britain’s ability to produce its own food. This must and can be reversed.”

He also said UK agriculture received less Government support than farmers in the EU, US, Canada and New Zealand, and less than half the average for countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“Despite these pressures, British farmers continue to deliver jobs, growth and food, while playing a crucial role in supporting rural communities, as their firefighting efforts this summer have shown.

“With the right backing, they can do even more,” he said, calling for clearly defined targets and core standards “as a start”, along with a planning system that enables growth and a tax system that recognises the need to invest.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats called on the Government to unlock the water storage potential on Britain’s farms by removing planning and funding barriers.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said farmers are being “blocked by outdated planning rules and a lack of proper support”.

“We need a national call to store programme right now – identifying where that capacity exists, removing the barriers and backing farmers who want to be part of the solution,” he said.

“The demands of our changing climate will not wait for Whitehall to catch up.”

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