The UK is losing the ability to produce its own food, farmers have warned, as the country becomes increasingly reliant on imports from overseas just as the world grows more unstable, with conflicts including the Ukraine war and fears that Europe could be plunged into a wider war with Russia.
Tom Bradshaw, President of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), said: "We can't rely on the rest of the world to feed us." The amount of food produced in the UK has plummeted in the past 30 years, thanks to rising costs, disease outbreaks and extreme weather.
Sharp declines in domestic production
NFU figures show production of commodities including wheat, oilseed rape, pig meat and fresh vegetables has fallen since 1995. The production of fresh vegetables in the UK plunged by 20.9% between 1995 and 2024, while potatoes made domestically in the period plummeted 37.2%.
This has led the NFU to demand food targets to reverse their decline. And where foods have seen domestic production increase, such as for fresh fruit, eggs and poultry, demand has grown faster still.
Imported food standards and salmonella scare
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. The food scare in eggs in recent weeks is a tragic reminder of what happens when we get this wrong."
Close to 500 people became ill with salmonella linked to imported eggs, UK authorities said in August.
Drought, disease and rising costs
Mr Bradshaw warned that food security is also at risk because farmers are battling a triple whammy of drought, disease and rising costs. Britain experienced its hottest summer on record this year, with much of the nation plunged into drought following low rainfall and high temperatures.
Mr Bradshaw added: "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."
The Labour government launched an attack on agriculture when it threatened an inheritance tax raid on the sector which saw thousands march on Whitehall in protest. Keir Starmer's government was forced to U-turn on the move which threatened hundreds of family farms across the country.
The NFU also said UK agriculture receives less government support than farmers in the EU, US, Canada and New Zealand.
Mr Bradshaw added: "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. Clearly defined targets for food production and a set of core standards are the start. A planning system that enables growth and a tax system that recognises the need to invest are crucial."
