Summit warning on home grown food

Research from the National Farmers' Union released on the eve of the organisation's annual conference suggests that the UK's self sufficiency is in a 30-year downward spiral, with 60 per cent of food needs met with produce from farms here.

At current rates, and with the UK population expected to grow by 13 million, the figure could fall to 53 per cent by the 2040s, the NFU claimed, warning it would have serious implications for the British economy, food security and employment.

Farmers are calling for the next Government to make food and farming a priority in the face of a growing population, climate change and market volatility.

Speaking at yesterday's conference, NFU president Meurig Raymond said the report pointed to the reasons for the UK's declining food self sufficiency, including European and UK farm policy changes, declining investment in public research and development, poorly crafted regulation and weak bargaining power for farmers in the food chain.

He said: "The stark choice for the next 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.

"I want to see 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."

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss announced a long-term economic plan at the meeting and identified priorities including improving the resilience of the industry in the face of volatile global markets, opening up new markets at home and abroad and simplifying EU regulations to free up food producers to innovate and grow their businesses.

Meanwhile a spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "From farm to fork, our food industry is in good health – it generated a record £103 billion for our economy last year."