Report on future of UK food is a hard one to swallow
A report published by the NFU has revealed disturbing new figures relating to the UK's self-sufficiency in food, writes NFU West Midlands director Rob Newbery.
It states that at current rates, just 53 per cent of the nation's food needs will be produced from home farms in the next 25 years, with potential for serious implications for the British economy, food security and employment.
With the population expected to boom over the coming decades, there will be about 13 million extra mouths to feed in the UK by the time the country's self-sufficiency in home-grown food is predicted to hit dwindling new lows.
Currently, the figure stands at 60 per cent – following a 30-year downward spiral.
The report comes at a time when the public is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of British food and farming. New YouGov figures show that 85 per cent of the population want to see supermarkets selling more food from British farms.
NFU president Meurig Raymond said the report highlights the causes of the decline in self-sufficiency.
The report focuses very clearly on what needs to be done to reverse this trend.
The stark choice for the Government is whether to trust the nation's food security to volatile world markets or to back British farming and reverse the worrying trend in food production. What the NFU wants is a robust plan for increasing the productive potential of farming, stimulating investment and ensuring that the drive to increase British food production is at the heart of every Government department.
NFU deputy president Minette Batters pointed out the important thing to remember about self-sufficiency is that it is a yardstick for measuring how competitive we are and how much we produce. It doesn't mean limiting or reducing export; it means capitalising on what we are already good at and being able to provide food to shoppers and food procurers throughout Britain.
In a volatile world, she said, it is important for an island nation to prioritise food security. British food should be at the heart of Government. Education, health and food and farming should be intrinsically linked.
Get your voice heard by casting a vote for British food at www.votebritishfood.com
