The UK’s self-sufficiency in 10 out of 11 everyday food items has collapsed over the past three decades, according to analysis by the National Farmers’ Union.
The organisation’s Ready to Grow report showed the UK provides less of its own wheat, oilseed rape, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, beef, poultry, eggs, pork, sugar and potatoes than it did 30 years ago.
This has been due in part to increased demand, but overall production has also declined in many cases – most notably in oilseed rape, where production dropped by 10.5% despite demand increasing by 25.3%, and in wheat, which decreased 6.8% compared to demand going up by 28.6%.
However, even for the few sectors to have seen production growth such as fresh fruit, poultry meat and eggs, farmers have failed to keep pace with growing demand.
The report said the country had “handed established markets to imports” with even “success stories” losing share of the domestic market.
The farming union said the gap has been filled by a 70% surge in imports, despite England and Wales’ agriculture sectors both delivering growth of 57% and 55% in GVA terms since 1998.
The findings come just days after the National Audit Office warned that the government risked being blindsided by a major food supply emergency due to Defra’s failure to “encourage businesses, households and communities to strengthen resilience”.
“This is not for want of ambition,” the report said. “The will and the finance to expand exist – what holds investment back is a planning system that stalls the sheds, glasshouses and reservoirs growth depends on.”
The study also found 65% of wheat and barley grown on cereal farms came from farms operating at a loss, and that on lowland livestock farms only 26% of some sheep products came from profitable farm groups.
The NFU additionally revealed that the UK provided far less direct and indirect financial support to producers than many of its international partners and competitors, with Australia proving the only exception.
This is notwithstanding 93% of households in England and Wales believing it is important to maintain or increase the UK’s food self-sufficiency, according to a survey of 2,000 adults across the two nations by OnePoll.
The NFU has called on the government to “set ambitious targets for homegrown food”.
“Farmers are battling devastating drought, disease outbreaks and soaring costs,” said NFU president Tom Bradshaw. “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.”
According to Bradshaw, the government must set defined targets for food production with a “core set of standards” and that a pro-growth planning system and tax system which “recognises the need to invest” were crucial.
“We want to work with Defra’s Farming and Food Partnership Board to build a competitive sector, one that realises its ambitions and unlocks growth in every part of the country,” he added. “This matters today on Back British Farming Day, and it matters for tomorrow and the 29 million households needing affordable, safe food.”
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