Next Prime Minister Urged To Reform UK Food Security

The UK’s leading food and farming industry organisations have called on candidates for the next Prime Minister to back a five-point plan designed to create a more resilient, affordable, and sustainable food system.

The NFU, British Retail Consortium (BRC), Food and Drink Federation (FDF), and UKHospitality have joined forces to highlight urgent action needed across the supply chain. 

From farming and manufacturing through to retail and hospitality the leaders are calling for swift efforts to strengthen supply chains, support investment, and protect consumers from future food shocks.

In an open letter, the organisations outlined five key priorities: delivering value for consumers, achieving well-negotiated EU realignment, improving the planning system, securing access to workers, and supporting investment and growth.

They said these measures would help address vulnerabilities across the food system while supporting businesses and protecting the UK’s 29 million households from future food shocks.

Growing Concerns For Food Security

The call comes as MPs demand the complete release of a major assessment from the UK’s intelligence chiefs, which reportedly highlights the serious national security risks posed by the loss of ecosystems around the world. 

The MPs warn that failing to respond quickly to the threats identified could have far-reaching consequences for the UK’s future, including severe food shortages, price rises, migration, political destabilisation, and potential war.

Already, the UK’s self-sufficiency in food has declined from 65% to 60% between 2024 and 2025 due to the growing impact of climate change on food systems, according to the new figures from Defra.

UK industry groups are continuing to lobby the government to tackle the challenges facing the food sector and to overhaul domestic food security.

Just last week MPs on the NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship scheme visited Barfoots’ Sefter Farm near Bognor Regis, Sussex, to learn more about the horticulture sector in the UK. 

The group of five parliamentarians were talked through the biggest issues facing UK growers, including difficulty getting planning approval for the infrastructure required for horticulture businesses to grow, as well as supply chains and supermarkets, seasonal worker visas and ELMs (Environmental Land Management) schemes. 

A Vital Economic Driver

At the same time, trade representatives continue to highlight the importance of food and farming to the UK economy and national security. 

The food and drink industry is the country’s largest manufacturing sector, contributing more than £153 billion and supporting more than four million jobs across the supply chain, translating into one in nine jobs in the UK.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said farmers and growers must be central to efforts to strengthen food security.

“British farmers and growers are the foundation of our food system,” Bradshaw stressed. “With 70 million people reliant on us to produce their food, we must act now to secure a resilient, affordable food system in the coming years.

“To drive success, farmers and growers need to know they’ll have the workforce they rely on, regulation which supports efficiency and growth, and a planning system that drives investment in much-needed farm infrastructure such as poultry sheds, storage for valuable manures and reservoirs,” he added.

“These are all things that will build resilience in food production, and these investments will help both hard-pressed farmers and struggling consumers. I urge the incoming Prime Minister and their team to get behind this plan and lead the charge.”

Removing Barriers To Growth

Although retailers are already committed to sourcing “the vast majority of their food” from UK producers, the BRC warns that further growth requires action to remove barriers facing farmers.

“In order to grow this investment, government must work to remove some of the hurdles which hold back British farmers, including on costs, planning restrictions, and reducing friction in EU realignment,” urged Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability at the BRC.

“This would allow the UK to build a more resilient and affordable food system that can deliver for both consumers and the economy long into the future.”

There is also a need for greater collaboration between government and the food and drink industry to unlock investment in technology, skills, and innovation in a sector that contributes £42 billion to the economy and employs more than half a million people.

“Our industry should be driving growth and creating new jobs in every postcode across the country. But instead, many businesses are struggling with the cost of rising bills and complex regulation,” lamented Karen Betts, Chief Executive of The Food and Drink Federation.

“We want government to work with our sector to incentivise investment, particularly in new technologies, advanced skills, and the R&D necessary to make our food system more resilient and our diets healthier,” she added. 

“Too often food and drink has been overlooked by government and our industry’s work to ensure households everywhere have access to a wide range of fresh, nutritious and affordable food has been taken for granted. 

“The new Prime Minister should seize this opportunity to partner with us to strengthen and safeguard the UK’s food system today and into the future.”

Hospitality Calls For Supply Chain Support

Businesses across the hospitality sector, including pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels and contract caterers, meanwhile, rely on a resilient food supply chain.

UKHospitality therefore is urging the next government to reduce costs and regulatory pressures.

“It’s critical that the next Prime Minister supports the food supply chain by reducing its tax burden, cutting red tape and enabling businesses from farm to fork to grow,” stated Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality.

The organisations said action across the five-point plan would help to create a stronger food supply chain capable of delivering affordable, nutritious food while supporting economic growth across the UK.

Read the five-point plan here.