Food & Drink
9 August 2026
A new report from The Food Foundation, entitled ‘Farming for 5-a-day: how resilient is the UK’s supply of fruit, veg and beans in a changing climate?’, has found that there is currently a mismatch between UK domestic food production and dietary goals.
Of the top 20 countries from which the UK imports most of its fruit and vegetables, 18 (90%) are moderately to severely vulnerable to climate change.
Of the UK’s nine most-purchased fruits, five can be grown in the UK (apples, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and pears) — but we remain under 40% self-sufficient for four of those and could be growing more at home.
Imports are needed for the whole supply of some fruit, such as citrus fruits and bananas.
While the UK has experienced wildfires and drought over the summer, it is still less exposed to climate change than many of its global suppliers of healthy staple foods.
The report reveals that we could grow more of our top vegetables (such as tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, cucumbers, onions, broccoli, and green beans) in the UK, but only carrots reach high self-sufficiency (94%); the rest are all below 50%.
The Food Foundation is calling on government to support farmers to grow more fruit and vegetables domestically and increase consumption, whilst also enabling climate adaptation, building resilience on farms and strengthening local food systems and supply chains.
From conflict to climate disruption: why Slow Food will debate the future of food this September.
Community gardens can promote biodiversity and improve diets and livelihoods.
New report: food security is under threat, which could lead to economic and social instability.
