The British organisation has issued this warning in a context of growing political and public pressure to increase local production, amid the effects of climate change, instability in international supply chains and rising costs. However, the FPC argues that oversimplifying the debate could create new vulnerabilities for UK consumers.
Fresh Produce Consortium Chief Executive Nigel Jenney has pointed out that the solution is not simply to grow more within the country, as land availability remains a major challenge and the UK itself is increasingly exposed to the same extreme weather events affecting other production regions around the world.
“The problem cannot be solved simply by growing more here,” Jenney said. “We can increase domestic production, but food security depends on achieving the right balance between British production and diverse seasonal sourcing from different regions of the world.”
Imports, a key part of supply
The FPC stresses that fresh produce imports remain essential to feeding the country throughout the year and to ensuring that consumers have access to a broad, diverse and affordable supply of fruit and vegetables.
According to Jenney, the UK imports approximately 4 million tonnes of fresh produce from countries outside the European Union, representing around half of its fruit and vegetable imports. These flows include many of the products that British consumers enjoy on a daily basis.
For the FPC chief executive, this global supply network should not be seen as a weakness, but as a critical part of the national food security strategy.
Concern over the trade reset with the EU
The organisation has expressed concern over the possible consequences of the new arrangements between the United Kingdom and the European Union, known as the UK-EU “reset”, which could introduce new regulatory and financial burdens on imports from third countries.
The FPC warns that unnecessarily adopting European legislation for products intended exclusively for consumption in the UK could put the current balance of the supply system under strain.
Jenney questions the assumption that the European Union alone could cover the volumes and seasonal continuity required by the British market. In his view, the scale and seasonality of UK fruit and vegetable demand require a balanced model combining domestic production, European supply and imports from the rest of the world.
The sector calls for stronger ties with third countries
The Fresh Produce Consortium believes the British Government is not sufficiently recognising the strategic importance of maintaining strong relationships with suppliers outside the European Union.
“Rest of the world supply is not optional; it is fundamental to mitigating food security risks,” Jenney said. In this regard, the organisation warns that some policies currently being developed could add hundreds of millions of pounds in unnecessary official costs to global food imports, at a time when affordability and resilience should be the priority.
The sector fears that these costs will ultimately be passed on to businesses and, eventually, to consumers, in a scenario already marked by inflationary pressure, higher operating costs and volatility in international trade.
Doubts over the scientific basis of SPS controls
The FPC has also questioned the scientific justification for the regulatory changes being discussed in relation to sanitary and phytosanitary controls —SPS—.
Jenney believes that the protectionist official import inspections that could be applied are unnecessary and add no value either to British trade or to hard-pressed consumers. According to the FPC chief executive, UK SPS controls on fruit and vegetables from third countries have improved since leaving the European Union, thanks to the adoption of a more science-based approach.
In his view, that system made it possible to remove or significantly reduce certain outdated border controls, meaning that a return to more rigid inspection schemes could represent a step backwards for the sector.
A reset, but not at any cost
The Fresh Produce Consortium says it supports a sensible reset of trade relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union, but warns that this must not be achieved at the expense of food security or global supply.
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Jenney said the sector has repeatedly put forward practical solutions to build a more balanced, resilient and effective supply system, enabling trade to be maximised with both the European Union and the rest of the world.
However, the FPC fears that fresh produce businesses may once again be sidelined in political decision-making and end up bearing the consequences of measures it considers short-sighted.
A debate shaped by climate, costs and labour
The FPC’s warning comes amid an ongoing debate over how to strengthen the United Kingdom’s long-term food resilience. The sector is simultaneously facing pressure from climate change, sharply rising costs, labour shortages and increasingly volatile international trade conditions.
For the organisation, ensuring food security requires a broad vision that combines domestic production, stable trade relations with the European Union and smooth access to global suppliers. In this context, the regulatory and trade decisions adopted by the British Government will be decisive for the competitiveness of the sector and for the availability of fruit and vegetables in the UK market.
