While the launch of the index is an important and welcome step, the critical thing now is how the government responds to the index in future to ensure that domestic food production remains the foundation of our nation’s food security.
What is the index?
The Food Security Index is designed to capture and present the data needed to monitor levels of UK food security annually, which is especially important against a backdrop of months of devastating flooding, unsustainably high production costs and low market returns.
The index itself consists of nine indicators, ensuring that food security is not reduced to a single metric or theme.
What does the index say?
After assessing all nine metrics, Defra found that the UK’s food security is ‘broadly stable’, as the UK has come out of a challenging period of supply chain shocks, including Covid-19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the related inflationary pressures.
The importance of strong domestic production is highlighted as the foundation of UK food security, complemented by imports from diverse sources which also play an important role in upholding food security.
The index reports that in the short term, reduced volatility in the prices of key inputs such as energy and fertiliser have reduced the immediate risks to food security, however, record rainfall has severely affected expected domestic production of some crops in 2024.
The index is conscious that longer term trends in climate and the environment continue to present risks for UK food security, both through the possibility of more frequent adverse weather events at home, or through effects overseas which could reduce global food supplies.
What is included in the index?
The table below summarises each of the indicators which were assessed. Each was rated on a scale ranging from ‘broad reduction in risks’ to ‘broad increase in risks’.
|
Defra assessment of each component of the index |
|
| Indicator | Assessment |
| Indicator 1: Global food supply for human consumption | Broadly stable |
| Indicator 2: Share of global cereals and soya beans internationally traded | Broadly stable |
| Indicator 3: Production-supply ratio | Broadly stable |
| Indicator 4: Agricultural total factor productivity | Some reduction in risks |
| Indicator 5: Agricultural land use | Broadly stable |
| Indicator 6: Energy and fertiliser prices | Some reduction in risks |
| Indicator 7: Business investment | Broadly stable |
| Indicator 8: Biosecurity risk | Broadly stable |
| Indicator 9: Consumer confidence in food supply chain actors | Broadly stable |
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Our general election manifesto – Farming for Britain's Future – outlines our key asks of the next government to ensure farmers and growers can continue to deliver for the environment, economy and local communities while producing more of the great British food we all enjoy.