NFU Scotland is calling on the UK government to urgently commission an independent review of food imports policy, warning that growing reliance on overseas production and competition from imports produced to different standards are putting Scottish agriculture at risk.
The union launched a new policy paper, Imports: Protecting Standards, Supporting Domestic Production, at its Autumn Conference today.It is calling for a more strategic approach to imports that protects domestic production, strengthens food security and ensures fair competition.
The paper highlights growing concerns about the UK’s reliance on imported food, including:
- Food import volumes have risen by 70% since 1997.
- Around 40% of the food consumed in the UK is now imported.
- UK self-sufficiency has declined across ten of eleven key agricultural commodities over the past 30 years.
- The UK’s food trade deficit has more than doubled from £20.6 billion in 2000 to £42.1 billion.
The paper also highlights the importance of grain and combinable crops to Scottish agriculture, warning that imports produced under different regulatory and environmental requirements can place additional pressure on domestic growers and undermine the competitiveness of Scottish arable farming.
The paper identifies five priorities for government action:
1. Establish core production standards for imported food.
2. Put food security at the heart of trade policy, including future trade agreements.
3. Strengthen import controls and biosecurity to protect domestic agriculture.
4. Improve country-of-origin labelling, including in restaurants and food service.
5. Increase transparency in food sourcing, with clearer reporting from retailers and the wider supply chain.
Import dependence
NFU Scotland warns that increasing import dependence risks weakening domestic production and leaving the UK more exposed to global supply disruptions, disease risks and geopolitical instability. It is particularly concerned that the industry faces competition from imports that are ‘not necessarily produced to equivalent animal welfare, environmental and production standards’.
NFU Scotland president Andrew Connon said: “Scottish farmers and crofters produce some of the highest-quality food in the world, meeting demanding standards on animal welfare, food safety and environmental protection.
“Yet too often they are being asked to compete with imported products that have not been produced to the same standards or faced the same costs.
“Imports have an important role to play in providing consumer choice, but we cannot allow growing reliance on overseas production to undermine our own ability to produce food.
“We need an urgent, independent review of UK food imports policy to ensure Scottish farmers and crofters can compete on a fair and equal footing.”
NFU Scotland also wants greater investment in domestic food processing and stronger commitments to Scottish sourcing.
Mr Connon added: “Food security is about protecting the farms, businesses and infrastructure we will need to feed ourselves in the future.
“Both the UK and Scottish governments must ensure agricultural and trade policies work together to support domestic production, protect our high standards and give farmers and crofters the confidence to invest.
“We welcome trade, but it must be fair.”