Britain has seen a significant decline in domestic food production over the past three decades, raising concerns about the country’s growing reliance on imports, according to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU). The organization cited rising costs, disease outbreaks, and adverse weather conditions as major factors contributing to the downward trend.

Between 1995 and 2024, production of fresh vegetables fell by 20.9%, while potato output dropped by 37.2%. NFU President Tom Bradshaw emphasized the risks posed by this decline, highlighting the increasing dependence on imported food amid a global environment marked by instability. “We cannot rely on the rest of the world to feed us,” Bradshaw said, warning that "successive governments have sleepwalked into making it harder to produce food at home."

The NFU is calling for the establishment of clear, measurable targets for key food products, including wheat, vegetables, beef, poultry meat, and eggs, to help reverse the decline. Bradshaw pointed to recent food safety incidents as illustrative of the risks involved. In August, nearly 500 people in the UK were reported to have contracted salmonella infections linked to imported eggs, sparking renewed attention on the country's food security.

Farmers are also facing significant environmental challenges, including drought and disease outbreaks, compounded by economic pressures such as rising input costs. Britain experienced its hottest summer on record this year, with extensive regions affected by drought conditions. Bradshaw criticized policy uncertainty, chronic underinvestment, and a restrictive planning system for degrading the nation’s capacity to produce food sustainably, calling for these trends to be reversed.

The UK government faces criticism from the farming sector over proposed measures that were seen as punitive. A recent government threat to impose an inheritance tax increase on agricultural estates prompted widespread protests, including a large demonstration on Whitehall. Following public pressure, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration reversed the planned tax changes.

The NFU also highlighted disparities in government support, noting that UK farmers receive less financial backing compared to counterparts in the European Union, the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Bradshaw argued that despite these challenges, British agriculture continues to generate employment, contribute to economic growth, and sustain rural communities. He called for policies that provide stability, including defined food production targets, core standards, a supportive planning framework, and a tax system that encourages investment.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs was contacted for comment on these concerns but had not responded at the time of publication.