Food: Climate Change
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the UK’s reliance on food imports in the context of increasing climate-driven supply shocks.
Answered by Dame Angela Eagle
The UK Food Security Report, published by Defra every three years and last published in 2024, sets out an analysis of statistics relating to food security, serving as an evidence base to inform government policy and public understanding. It tracks trends in domestic production, import reliance, inflation, and supply chain shocks.
The UK has a resilient food system, producing around 65% of all food consumed here. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.
In most scenarios, the UK’s ability to access supply from diverse sources is vital to its resilience.
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