Pivotal Moment: UK Food Sector Must Transform To Decide Own Fate

Rapid and urgent action on food is needed if the UK is to avoid enforced change, including reducing reliance on imported food and increasing domestic fruit and vegetable production by helping growers adapt to climate change, according to a new report. 

The Roadmap for Resilience: A UK Food Plan for 2050 calls for “radical transformation” at a scale and pace not seen since the Second World War, which must be led by “decisive and coordinated action” from the government.

Without immediate action, the report argues that change will be forced upon the UK food system as increasing pressures cause the nation to lurch from crisis to crisis, including food price shocks, climate disasters, and weakened economic productivity.

Some 10 key recommendations and a timeline to 2050 have been proposed to help the UK reboot its economy, save the NHS billions, safeguard national food security, and meet climate commitments.

As the chance for the UK to decide its own fate narrows, this future food roadmap must include three core transformations: more resilient farming, smarter land use, and healthier diets.

Climate-Resistant Produce 

With the UK food industry vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, the report calls for reduced reliance on imports in particular. Currently, the UK imports 85% of its fruit supply and 50% of fruit.

To that end, UK producers must receive greater support to adapt to climate change, diversify their businesses, and grow more fruit, vegetables and whole grains. 

The need for climate-resistant fresh produce crops is clear, as featured by Agritech Future earlier this week. Extreme weather means breeding must keep pace with rising thermal and environmental stresses to avoid serious challenges in maintaining production levels.

Just last month IGD said climate change is the greatest threat to the UK food system with imported horticulture facing the greatest risk. If current practices continue, IGD claims the UK will be exposed to £2.6bn in additional food costs without climate action.

Indeed, the world’s food systems are essential to global efforts to manage climate change, found the EAT-Lancet Commission’s latest report released earlier this month, which recommends a shift to plant-rich healthy diets, including fruits and vegetables, increased agricultural productivity, and reduced food loss and waste.

While significant industry change is “inevitable” over the next 50 years, the window is narrowing for the UK to shape its own food future, according to Neil Ward, Co-Lead of the Agri-Food for Net Zero (AFN) Network+, which coordinated the Roadmap; and Professor of Rural and Regional Development at UEA.

“Achieving this transformation has the power to deliver a food system where everyone in the UK has access to healthy and sustainable food,” Ward stated. “Nature will flourish, emissions will fall and farming will be more resilient and secure for future generations.”

Three Areas to Transform

•    Farming Resilience: Supporting farmers to adapt to climate change, diversify business, and grow more fruit, vegetables and whole grains, reducing the need for imports.

•    Land use: Expanding woodland cover from 14% to at least 20% of UK land by 2050, restoring peatlands and planning land use regionally to balance food, nature and climate.

•    Diets: Making nutritious, sustainable food the easy and affordable option, while reducing reliance on imported and high-emission foods.

Urgent Actions for Government

The report’s authors are urging the government to work with farmers, food companies, and local authorities on the following actions:

• Placing food security on a par with energy security, equally essential to national security.

• Setting targets for dietary change and livestock numbers.

• Creating a National Food System Transformation Committee reporting to the Prime Minister.

• Offering further reform agricultural subsidies to prioritise emissions reduction and carbon sequestration, alongside sustainable production and biodiversity.

  
  

The report comes at a pivotal moment, with the UK government launching a new food strategy process that features an aspirational vision for change. 

The Roadmap had input from 150 scientists and industry professionals from across research institutes, farming, charities and the food industry, and is the culmination of three years of work by the AFN Network+, a project funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with 3,000 members and led by a group of 11 universities and research institutes.

Download the Roadmap here.