Only Half of UK Food to Be Homegrown in 2040 - Report

By the mid-2040s UK self-sufficiency of food supply would have slumped to 53 percent of the nation's needs, by 2080 only 46 percent of UK food needs will be met by national production, according to a report by the UK National Farmers' Union (NFU).

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Just half of food supplies in the United Kingdom will be domestically produced in 25 years' time, a report by the UK National Farmers' Union (NFU) issued Tuesday revealed.

At present, UK food self-sufficiency, the ability to grow one's own products and become independent from imports, is just 60 percent, according to the report. This figure reflects a 15 percent drop since 1991.

"The NFU estimates that if UK farm production stays at current levels and population grows as predicted, by the mid-2040s UK self-sufficiency would have slumped to 53 percent of the nation's needs," the report, titled "Backing British Farming in a Volatile World" reads.

The paper warns that by 2080 only 46 percent of UK food needs will be met by national production, should the problem remain unaddressed.

Moreover, as the United Kingdom is expected to become the most populous state in the European Union by the mid-2040s, according to Eurostat, the demand for food supplies in Britain will rise accordingly.

In light of this, the farmers' association has urged the UK government to back projects aimed at promoting the agrarian sector's competitiveness.

A recent survey by YouGov for the NFU revealed that 85 percent of Britons would like to see more food grown by local farmers in supermarkets.

The release of the report is timed to coincide with the start of the annual conference for farmers in England and Wales, that kicked off in Birmingham on February 24.