Why food self sufficiency must be bolstered as fresh vegetables reach record low

Farmers have urged governments to help maintain the UK's self-sufficiency as new figures show production of some home-grown foods are at a record low.

The plea came on Wednesday which was "self-sufficiency day" - the day that the nation's larders would run empty if we only ate food produced in the UK, starting from January 1.

According to 2023 Defra figures, the UK is 62 per cent self-sufficient in food.

While this reflects similar levels of the past decade, some sectors have seen a recent decline.

For example, the UK’s self-sufficiency in fresh vegetables is at its lowest since records began in 1988 at 53 per cent, according to the new data.

This year, farmers and growers across Britain have also experienced one of the wettest winters and springs on record which has put untold pressure on food production and contributed to a collapse in farm business confidence.

At the same time, record-breaking global temperatures have impacted key exporting countries across the world. Imports make up 84 per cent of fresh tomatoes on sale in the UK, according to National Farmers Union research, yet tomato imports from Spain and Morocco fell by 17 per cent in February 2023 compared to the five-year average. In the same time period, imports of lettuce varieties fell by more than 36 per cent, contributing to shortages on shop shelves.

National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) has an ongoing ShelfWatch campaign, which looks at the own-label produce available in all major supermarkets.

The research shone a light on which retailers are showing the greatest commitment to supporting domestic production and who support self-sufficiency ambitions.

Earlier this year, results from the campaign showed Aldi was the top supermarket in Scotland when it comes to stocking the most Scottish produce.

The German multinational retailer has the largest percentage of its overall products from Scotland (48.7 per cent) in its stores north of the border. 

A total of 71 Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Lidl and Aldi stores were surveyed in January for the beef, lamb, pork, chicken, soft fruit, vegetables and dairy products on their shelves. Sainsbury’s had the lowest percentage of Scottish produce, with just 7.6 per cent of Scottish products on its shelves north of the border. Tesco and Asda were second and third lowest with under 10 per cent of Scottish products in their stores overall – 8.1 per cent and 8.7 per cent respectively. 

NFUS president Martin Kennedy said: “Food security, self-sufficiency and profitable agricultural production are significant political issues.

“The two ‘Farm to Fork’ summits held at Downing Street in 2023 and 2024 both recognised that food security is vital to our national security. 

“The momentum behind that recognition must continue under the new administration by making food security a priority.

“For our new Government, future delivery of support budgets will play a significant role in the viability and confidence of the Scottish agricultural sector.”

Mr Kennedy said self-sufficiency will also be enhanced by fairer supply chains at home “that see producers more fairly rewarded for the level of risk they undertake.”

He added: “Fairer supply chains, increased processing capacity, greater collaboration, more public procurement and better promotion would enhance the UK’s food security and would bolster domestic production of high-quality food. This would also safeguard the interests of UK consumers.”