Half Of UK Food Will Come From Abroad By 2040

By Becky Johnson, Sky News Correspondent

Farmers have warned that almost half of the UK's food will come from abroad by 2040.

Research by the National Farmer's Union (NFU) has found that over the last 30 years a downward spiral of self sufficiency means less and less of what we eat is British grown or reared.

Currently just 60% of food consumed in the UK is British. That is predicted to fall to 53% in 25 years time, with a warning it could fall below 50% by 2080.

NFU vice president Guy Smith said: "Currently, farming grows most of the raw ingredients for Britain's food and drink industry - worth £97bn - which provides jobs for 3.5 million people across the country.

"With that in mind, the prospect of the UK becoming less than 50% self-sufficient should ring alarm bells across all political parties.

"Our burgeoning trade deficit in food and drink isn't just worrying in terms of food security, it also has important implications for jobs and general economic health."

Mike Gorton has been farming in Cheshire for nearly five decades. He told Sky News it is important to protect the quality of the food we eat.

"Recently we saw the 'horsegate' scandal where you can't be as sure of products from abroad as you can from our domestic produce that has the red tractor where we're working hard as an industry to ensure the standards the public demand are met."

The NFU says it has the support of the public, citing a recent poll which found 85% of people want to see more British produce on supermarket shelves.

However many shoppers who spoke to Sky News in Handforth, Cheshire, admitted price dictates what they buy over whether it is British or not.

An excessive reliance on imported food led to rationing during World War Two. A subsequent drive to increase food production has now subsided since self sufficiency peaked in the 1980s.

The NFU says the UK's food security should be a priority whichever Government is in power after the general election.

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 £103bn for our economy last year, more than cars and aerospace combined.

"We are helping the industry become more competitive, at home and abroad, by opening up record numbers of international food markets to export our produce, making it easier for our schools and hospitals to buy local, helping consumers choose UK products through improved country-of-origin labelling, and investing in cutting-edge technology like GPS-guided tractors."

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