Farming and environment groups have issued a stark warning to the Government, urging them to double the amount of land used to grow fruit and vegetables.
The Soil Association, Sustain and The Wildlife Trusts have written an open letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, saying the UK must stop relying on imports and scale up a “nature-friendly” British horticulture sector.
The letter warns that if the decline in fruit and vegetable production continues, the UK will “face further disaster” on supermarket shelves.
Campaigners have highlighted that imports account for most of the fruit and nearly half the vegetables eaten here, while less than a third of people eat their five a day and more land is used for golf than to produce fruit and vegetables.
“Growers of all scales are working tirelessly to achieve a simple but vital mission: to nourish people with good food,” the letter states.
“But the sector faces devastating decline. Nearly half our growers fear for the survival of their businesses and fruit and vegetable consumption in the UK is at the lowest in half a century. Less than a third of us eat our five-a-day.
“What’s more, the produce that does reach us is too often imported from countries that are increasingly impacted by extreme weather.
“Almost half our vegetables and more than 80 per cent of fruit is imported. This cannot go on. We urgently need more – not less – home-grown fruit and veg or we face further disaster for supermarket shelves, our health and the environment.”
The Soil Association is also asking anyone who agrees with the letter to sign a pledge on the charity’s website to say they support home-grown fruit and vegetables.
The report calls on the Government to revive plans for a UK horticulture strategy, which were scrapped last year, and to put more money into incentives for nature-friendly fruit and vegetable production, including organic, alongside tailored support for small-scale growers.
The groups also call for farmers and growers to be supported through a shift away from farming on peat, which releases vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and causes severe soil erosion.
Report co-author and Soil Association senior policy officer Lucia Monje-Jelfs said: “British fruit and veg is in crisis. Our diets are costing the NHS billions every year and the countries we import from are being hit by climate change.
“If we scaled up agro-ecological horticulture like organic, boosting access to healthy and sustainable food across the country, we could help to reverse the public health disaster, slash farming emissions and restore wildlife. The new Government must act to support the country’s growers.”
