Trade body raises concerns that the new EU-UK reset deal, and calls to produce more domestically, threaten UK imports from further afield
Simply growing more fruit and veg in the UK will not solve food security or tackle climate and geopolitical concerns, the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has warned.
The organisation, which said it has issued a statement in response to growing political and public pressure to increase domestic production, said that oversimplifying the debate risks even more vulnerabilities.
“The solution isn’t as simple as ‘grow more here’,” said outgoing FPC chief executive, Nigel Jenney.
“Land availability remains a major challenge and the UK itself is increasingly exposed to the very same climate shocks affecting global production regions.
“We absolutely can grow more domestically, but food security depends on achieving the right balance between UK production and diverse seasonal sourcing from around the world,” he said.
Rest of world produce ‘critical’ to food security
Jenney said the approximately four million tonnes of imported fresh produce, excluding EU sources, is not a weakness, but a critical part of national food security.
The FPC is concerned that the upcoming EU-UK reset deal would place that balance under strain, by placing new regulatory and financial burdens on non-EU imports.
“In effect we are assuming the EU alone will wish to supply the volumes and seasonal continuity the UK requires. It simply cannot,” Jenney continued.
“The scale and seasonality of UK fresh produce demand requires a balanced domestic and global supply model. This is absolutely imperative. The rest of the world supply chain is not optional — it is fundamental to mitigating food security risks,” he added.
The science behind SPS
Sanitary and phytosanitary controls on ‘rest of the world’ fresh produce has changed for the better since leaving the EU, the FPC said, after the UK removed or significantly reduced theborder inspection approach.
“We support a sensible reset, but not at any cost,” said Jenney.
“We have repeatedly offered practical solutions that would deliver a balanced, resilient and effective food supply system to max trade with the EU and Rest of the World promoting a practical win win solution. Unfortunately, the sector fears it will once again be ignored, with fresh produce businesses becoming the casualty of short-sighted political decisions.”
