6.1.2 Food in the UK

Why is Demand For Food in the UK Growing?

• Increased Disposable Income:
  • Leads to higher demand for larger quantities and more variety.
• Seasonal and Locally Sourced Food:
  • Used to be the norm; now, globally sourced foods are consumed year-round.
  • In 2013, 47% of UK food was imported.

Why Do We Import so Much Food?

• Availability and Seasonality:
  • Not all foods can be grown in the UK; some are seasonal (e.g., strawberries in July and August).
• Cost:
  • Cheaper to import due to poor harvests and high cost of animal feed in the UK.
• Climate:
  • Unsuitable for certain crops like cocoa, tea, and bananas.
• Supermarkets:
  • Ability to stock a wide range of foods.

Farming is Getting More Industrialised - Called 'Agribusiness'

• Growth in Agribusiness:
  • Large-scale farms controlled by large firms, from growing to packaging.
• Environmental Impact:
  • Heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers, reducing wildlife and causing eutrophication.
• Impact on Small Farms:
  • Taken over by large TNCs.
• Employment:
  • Decrease in farming jobs due to mechanization.
• Biodiversity:
  • Loss due to destruction of hedgerows for larger fields.
• Example:
  • East Anglia has many agribusinesses.

The Effects of Consuming More Food is a Growing Carbon Footprint

How Our Diets Impact The Planet

• Carbon Footprint:
  • Measures the impact of human activities on the environment.
  • Food production accounts for 17% of the UK's carbon footprint.
• Food Miles:
  • Distance food travels from where it is grown to where it is eaten.
  • Annual food miles for UK imports: 18.8 billion miles.
• Import Statistics:
  • 68% of imported food is from within the EU, 32% from the rest of the world.
• Government Initiatives:
  • Encouraging buying local and organic food, and growing food in allotments.

How Can We Make Our Food Usage More Sustainable?

• Organic Foods:
  • Produced to strict codes with no pesticides or fertilisers used.
  • Market grew by £2 billion a year since the 1990s.