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Fruit and Vegetables: Natural Disasters

Asked by Helen MaguireLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 23 September 2025UIN 75886

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) drought, (b) flooding and (c) rising temperatures on the UK’s top 10 fruit and vegetable supplier countries.

Answered by Dame Angela Eagle

The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes.

Defra has commissioned research to gather evidence which explores how climate change could affect the production of fruit and vegetables in regions across the Mediterranean.

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