Land for growing fruit and vegetables should be doubled, new Government told

The UK must stop relying on imports and fix diets by scaling up a “nature-friendly” British horticulture sector, an open letter co-ordinated by the Soil Association says.

The letter warns that if the current decline in British fruit and vegetables continues, the UK will “face further disaster” for supermarket shelves, health and the environment.

It follows a report from environment charities the Soil Association, Sustain and The Wildlife Trusts that says action must be taken to boost consumption of local and nature-friendly fruit and vegetables while insisting that farmers and growers must be given a fair deal to deliver sustainable food security and healthy diets.

Campaigners have highlighted that imports account for most of the fruit and nearly half of the vegetables consumed in the UK, while less than a third of people eat their five a day.

Their call for Government intervention to back sustainable British farmers and growers and for land used for horticulture in England to double would see an increase from around 2% to 4% of farmland they said.

The letter to Sir Keir Starmer says that more land is currently used to play golf than to produce fruit and vegetables.

It reads: “Across the country, growers of all scales are working tirelessly to achieve a simple but vital mission: to nourish people with good food.

“But the sector faces devastating decline. Nearly half of our growers fear for the survival of their businesses and fruit and vegetable consumption in the UK is at the lowest level in half a century. Less than a third of us eat our five-a-day.

“What’s more, the produce that does reach us is too often imported from countries that are increasingly impacted by extreme weather. Almost half of our vegetables and more than 80% of our fruit is imported. This cannot go on. We urgently need more – not less – home-grown fruit and veg, or we face further disaster for supermarket shelves, our health, and the environment.”

The Soil Association is also asking anyone who agrees with the letter to sign a pledge on the charity’s website to say they support homegrown fruit and vegetables.

The report calls on the Government to revive plans for a UK horticulture strategy, which were scrapped last year.

It also calls for the UK government to put more money into incentives for nature-friendly fruit and vegetable production, including organic, alongside tailored support for small-scale growers.

Report co-author and Soil Association senior policy officer Lucia Monje-Jelfs said: “British fruit and veg is in crisis. Our diets are costing the NHS billions every year and the countries we import from are being hit by the impacts of climate change.

“If we scaled up agro-ecological horticulture like organic, boosting access to healthy and sustainable food across the country, we could help to reverse the public health disaster, slash farming emissions, and restore wildlife. The new government must act to support the country’s growers.”

The groups also call for farmers and growers to be supported through a shift away from farming on peat, which releases vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and causes severe soil erosion.

Will White, report co-author and sustainable farming coordinator at Sustain, said: “The UK stands at a critical juncture in its approach to food production and public health.

“Our current food system is not only failing our health, with diet-related diseases costing the NHS billions annually, but also leaving our growers vulnerable to unrelenting market pressures and climate impacts.”

Guy Singh-Watson, founder of organic veg box company Riverford, said: “The new Government has a responsibility to spark a shift to a fair farming system where sustainable, British production brings us more of the food that is essential for human and planet health.

“Overall, a long-term plan is needed to build up more, shorter, and farmer-focused routes to market, which would not only allow British family farmers to make a fair return on their produce, but also allow them to invest in decent jobs for rural communities, protecting our climate and nature, and strengthening our supply of high-quality, home-grown food for generations to come.”