Heat, Harvests and Hard Choices: Why Britain’s Food Security Must Be Both Home-Grown and Global

British berry growers are proving that home-grown production can withstand a changing climate — but resilience will depend on investment, fair retailer returns and a trade policy that keeps trusted global supply chains open.

Britain’s berry growers are demonstrating impressive resilience in the face of an exceptionally hot summer, but industry leaders warn that favourable growing conditions alone cannot secure the sector’s long-term future.

The UK experienced three separate heatwaves before the middle of July, placing additional pressure on growers, crops and seasonal workers. Yet British strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries have continued to perform strongly, supported by years of investment in protected cropping, precision irrigation and rapid cooling technology.

Writing in HortWeek, Nick Marston of British Berry Growers described the impact of extreme temperatures as “a live, timely issue for anyone growing food in Britain today”, adding: “This is not an issue that can be washed off the table.”

British berries are more tolerant of heat than many consumers might imagine. The same crops are grown commercially in considerably hotter regions, including southern Spain and Morocco. However, prolonged periods of high temperatures can accelerate ripening, reduce average fruit size and make harvesting more physically demanding.

Some picking teams have started work as early as 4am, completing much of the day’s harvest before temperatures reach their peak. Growers have also invested in technology capable of removing field heat from freshly picked fruit quickly, protecting quality and extending shelf life.

Despite the challenges, the sector has remained buoyant. According to recent industry reporting, a record 6,700 tonnes of strawberries were sold during the May bank holiday week, while volumes have remained ahead of last year.

Britain’s maritime climate could even create new export opportunities as temperatures rise more severely across continental Europe. But realising that potential will require considerably greater investment in water storage, irrigation infrastructure, crop protection and climate-resilient varieties.

Support must reach the farm gate

The message to government and retailers is that growers cannot shoulder the cost of adaptation alone.

New reservoirs, water-management systems, cooling equipment and protected growing structures require substantial capital. Those investments become increasingly difficult when grower margins are thin and retail negotiations remain dominated by the lowest possible price.

Government policy must therefore make it easier to secure planning permission for essential agricultural infrastructure, provide confidence over abstraction licences and unlock funding for technology that improves productivity and environmental performance.

Retailers must also recognise the true cost of producing British fruit. Long-term relationships, realistic returns and greater certainty would enable growers to invest with confidence instead of simply absorbing another year of rising labour, energy and infrastructure costs.

Supporting domestic horticulture is an essential part of national food security. Yet protecting British production is only part of the answer.

Food security cannot stop at Britain’s borders

The Fresh Produce Consortium has warned that the UK cannot produce the complete range or volume of fruit and vegetables consumers require throughout the year. A secure national food strategy must therefore combine strong domestic production with frictionless access to trusted supplies from Europe and the wider world.

Around half of the fresh produce imported by the UK comes from countries outside the EU. These global supply chains provide citrus, mangoes, blueberries, peppers, sweet potatoes and many other products that cannot be grown domestically in sufficient quantities — or, in some cases, at all.

FPC Chief Executive Nigel Jenney has warned that proposed changes associated with the UK–EU Reset could impose EU-style controls on Rest of World produce, adding more than £300 million annually to supply-chain costs.

The UK’s existing science-based, risk-led system already achieves 99.5% compliance across approximately 120,000 consignments each year. FPC argues that replacing it with more burdensome controls would increase costs without delivering a measurable biosecurity benefit.

“This is a transfer of burden, not a simplification — and it is British shoppers who would pay,” Jenney said in Freshtalk Daily.

FPC supports closer trading arrangements with the EU but wants the Government to retain the UK’s existing controls for Rest of World produce destined solely for British consumers. It says this would protect biosecurity while avoiding unnecessary costs and disruption.

One joined-up strategy

The debate must not become a false choice between British and imported produce.

Britain needs thriving domestic growers capable of adapting to climate change. It also needs European trade and reliable global supply routes that can fill seasonal gaps, provide products the UK cannot grow and protect consumers when extreme weather damages harvests at home.

The berry sector’s response to this summer’s heat shows what investment, innovation and expertise can achieve. But resilience cannot be taken for granted.

Government support, responsible retail partnerships and proportionate border policy must now work together. That is how Britain can secure a diverse, affordable and sustainable fresh produce supply — whatever the weather decides to throw at us next.