Extreme weather risks have exposed structural vulnerabilities in Wales, where only 0.1% of agricultural land is used for growing fruit and vegetables. This heavy dependence on international supply lines leaves public institutions vulnerable, with Welsh schools currently sourcing a mere 6% of their produce domestically. To build resilience, initiatives like Our Food Trust are working to establish 100 localized fruit and vegetable farms. Expanding these operations, however, requires overcoming severe systemic obstacles such as restricted land access and a lack of on-site housing for growers.
Key points
Heavy reliance on climate-vulnerable foreign producers leaves Welsh food supplies exposed…: Heavy reliance on climate-vulnerable foreign producers leaves Welsh food supplies exposed to severe disruption.
High supermarket consolidation and just-in-time delivery models heighten national vulnera…: High supermarket consolidation and just-in-time delivery models heighten national vulnerability to cyber attacks and external shocks.
Expanding local horticultural production requires local authorities to address systemic b…: Expanding local horticultural production requires local authorities to address systemic barriers surrounding land access and rural housing.
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- Published
Droughts and wildfires in the summer were a wake-up call and winter flooding could leave Wales' food supply vulnerable, an expert has warned.
The country currently imports the vast majority of its fruit and vegetables, with only 6% of those served in its schools grown in Wales.
It is dependent on produce from parts of the world prone to droughts and fires, according to co-founder of an organisation aiming to address this.
Duncan Fisher is behind Our Food Trust, external, which wants to build 100 farms, producing fruit and vegetables in Wales for local markets.
Despite 90% of the country being used for agriculture, external, only about 0.1% is currently being used for horticulture, external.
Growers at Fisher's Wern Farm, near Newtown, Powys, said this must change if the country is to survive climate change, wars and other global disruptions to the supply chain.
"We are hugely dependent and these vegetables are coming from really vulnerable parts of the world like south Europe and north Africa - the areas most prone to drought, fires, and overheating," said Fisher.
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