The Uk Is Not Self-Sufficient in Food Production; It Imports 48% of the Total Food Consumed and the Proportion Is Rising. Therefore, as a Food-Trading Nation...
The UK is not self-sufficient in food production; it imports 48% of the total food consumed and the proportion is rising. Therefore, as a food-trading nation, the UK relies on both imports and a thriving agricultural sector to feed itself and drive economic growth.
When was the last time the UK could feed itself?
In 1984, there was enough food produced in Britain to feed the nation for 306 days of the year. Today, that figure is 233 days, making 21 August 2020 the day that the country would run out of food if we were relying solely on British produce.
The UK had a self-sufficiency rating of 0.53 (Chart 1), meaning it could have met more than half its demand through indigenous production in 2017, comparing favourably with the EU average of 0.224.