Since the early 1990's, organic farming in the UK has expanded rapidly and by mid 2003 accounted for 4% of the agricultural land area with nearly 4000 farms managing some 720,000 hectares. This growth has been driven by consumers and policy makers who see organic farming as making a contribution to environmental, welfare, social and nutritional goals. It is one of a number of sustainable food production strategies; integrated farming being another, less restrictive option for farmers.

Within the UK, agriculture is often criticised for the production of cereals in excess of national demand. Where "overproduction" in some sectors is regarded as wasteful and unsustainable, "underproduction" in others is ignored. We consider the balance of trade in foods, self sufficiency and overproduction.

Barley is less important with an annual harvest of around 7 million tonnes, but with a greater proportion exported. Net exports of both wheat and barley total around 4 million tonnes annually and provide a balance of trade surplus of approximately £300 million. While the UK's self sufficiency in these products is often criticised internally as being wasteful, this surplus covers less than 10% of the defecit in fruit and vegetables.

Oats remain in plentiful supply in the UK, however with only a small area grown, exports rarely exceed £7 million in value.

The UK has not yet achieved regular self sufficiency in oil seed rape and imports are necessary to meet local demand for this important vegetable oil. The often misplaced assumption that it is just grown for subsidies, is starkly exposed.

The UK climate is ideally suited to the production of potatoes which for two centuries have formed a key staple in the diet. Even so, production remains insufficient to meet demand and substantial imports in both processed and raw potatoes are necessary.

In parts of the Midlands and East Anglia, sugar beet is an important crop, both for its profiability and as part of the crop rotation. Sugar beet is processed into refined sugar, some of which is exported. Overall self sufficiency in refined sugar is between 60 and 70%

Production of field and protected vegetables is around 150,000 hectares. Relatively little is exported and with overall self sufficiency at around 70%, the balance of demand is mostly met by imports from the EEC. The principal crops include: cabbage, carrot,cauliflower, lettuce, mushroom, peas and tomatoes.

Although the UK climate is not suitable for many of the fruits that are commonly purchased in supermarkets, years of decline in the areas of both orchard and soft fruits have left overall UK self sufficieny in fruits at little more than 10%.

However the UK may wish to "dress up" the efficiency of its agricultural sector, the stark reality is that the trade defecit in foods is now nearly £10 billion per annum. The relatively small trade surplus in cereals barely touches the defecit derived from imported foods and commodities that cannot be grown in the UK.

The UK is now less dependant upon agriculture as a % of GDP than any other major nation, a statistic reflected in its inability to feed itself. Self sufficiency in indiginous feeds is less than 80% and for all foods nears 60%. As yet, the decline in overall self sufficiency is not seen as an issue of strategic concern by UK policy makers.

User comments - post a comment