How is the fruit and vegetable self-sufficiency rate in the UK?

Fruits

Vegetables

United Kingdom

Published Oct 2, 2021

Tridge summary

The United Kingdom is highly dependent on imports for fruit and vegetables. Vegetables for just over half of their own soil. Because imports were lower in 2020 and production remained the same, the self-sufficiency level of vegetables in the United Kingdom rose by three percentage points to 56% last year. This put an end to a long-term downward trend in vegetable self-sufficiency.

Original content

As in previous years, 16% of the domestic consumption of fresh fruit comes from our own British soil. All this based on figures from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Vegetable production rather one-sided: Mainly large field vegetables The total production of vegetables in the United Kingdom has been fairly stable in recent times at a level of 2.5 to 2.6 million tons. Before that, the production was bigger. British vegetable production mainly consists of large, open-field vegetables. Carrots are by far the most important product with a production of 700,000 tons in 2020. Then onions and cabbage with both 400,000 tons. The production of greenhouse vegetables is on the modest side with a total of 270,000 tons. Tomatoes are the most important glass product with a modest 65,000 tons. The degree of self-sufficiency of the various vegetable products varies widely (on an annual basis), from 100% for carrots, via 90% for cabbage, 60% for cauliflower, 50% for mushrooms, ...

Source: AGF