Food security put at risk by government trade policies, industry warns

The UK’s food security is being put at risk by “self-inflicted” government trade policies, the Fresh Produce Consortium has warned.

The sector body warned that Britain cannot “grow its way out” of food security concerns without maintaining a strong and balanced global supply chain.

Pointing to the UK’s reliance on imported fresh produce from beyond the EU, FPC CEO Nigel Jenney said this was not a “weakness” but a “critical part of our national food security strategy”.

The consortium has said the proposed UK-EU reset arrangements could knowingly place that balance between domestic and global supply under serious strain, by creating new and unnecessary regulatory and financial burdens on non-EU imports.

Jenney questioned why the UK would adopt EU legislation on food supplies from outside the EU which are destined for consumption in the UK alone.

“In effect we are assuming the EU alone will wish to supply the volumes and seasonal continuity the UK requires? It simply cannot,” said Jenney. “The scale and seasonality of UK fresh produce demand requires a balanced domestic and global supply model. This is absolutely imperative.”

He added that the industry remains concerned that the government is failing to recognise the strategic importance of maintaining strong relationships with non-EU trading partners.

“The rest of the world supply chain is not optional – it is fundamental to mitigating food security risks,” he said. “Yet we continue to see policies developing that will add hundreds of millions of pounds in unnecessary officially imposed costs at the sole discretion of the UK government on global food imports at a time when affordability and resilience should be the priority.”

Beyond the challenges that trade could have on supply, Jenney raised questions about the impact of the “SPS regulations and widespread protectionist official import inspections”, adding that the “UK science-based approach removed or significantly reduced this outdated border inspection approach”.

“We support a sensible reset, but not at any cost,” he continued. “We have repeatedly offered practical solutions that would deliver a balanced, resilient and effective food supply system to max trade with the EU and rest of the world promoting a practical win-win solution.

“Unfortunately, the sector fears it will once again be ignored, with fresh produce businesses becoming the casualty of short-sighted political decisions.”