UK’s food supply risks 'catastrophic failure’: comment

Commenting on coverage of a Government report ‘Status of Defra’s critical systems to 2030 and beyond’, which warns that Britain's food supply is “at strategic risk of catastrophic failure” [1] Tom Lancaster, land, food and farming analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU)said: "The report’s findings are incredibly stark, including for our ability to feed ourselves, but the warning signs are clearly there. We’ve experienced three of the worst harvests on record in the past five years [2], and endured a generational food price shock [3].  Yet the challenge of producing enough food could well get much harder in the years ahead. 

“Climate change is now probably the biggest risk to global food production, and unless we ultimately stop that by reaching net zero emissions, these threats will only intensify. The fact that 'mega trends’ such as climate change make us more vulnerable to shocks such as the current oil price spike should be clear for all to see. There is a serious question too about why the public hasn’t been made aware of this assessment, given how relevant it is to our ability to secure safe and stable food supplies This is the second such assessment to be reported on this year. [4] Without more transparency, it will be hard for the Government and others to make the case for the changes needed to avoid the ‘collapse' this report warns us of.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/britains-food-supply-at-risk-of-catastrophic-failure-by-2030-bxbgzkmlp

2. ECIU: https://eciu.net/analysis/reports/2025/england-cereals-and-oilseeds-harvests-ranked#

3. ECIU: https://eciu.net/analysis/reports/2023/climate-fossil-fuels-and-uk-food-prices-2023 

4. Nature security assessment: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-security-assessment-on-global-biodiversity-loss-ecosystem-collapse-and-national-security 

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, t: 020 8156 5305, m: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net