science

Expert warns winter flooding could leave Wales food supply exposed

The country imports the vast majority of its fruit and vegetables.

summer, wales, droughts, despite, fisher, food, wake-up, winter

Key facts

  • The country imports the vast majority of its fruit and vegetables. Only 6% of the fruit and vegetables served in its schools is grown in Wales, the…
  • Droughts and wildfires this summer were a wake-up call, and winter flooding could leave Wales' food supply vulnerable, an expert has warned.
  • Wales needs to grow more fruit and vegetables or it will be at the mercy of wars and climate change, the expert said.

The country imports the vast majority of its fruit and vegetables. Only 6% of the fruit and vegetables served in its schools is grown in Wales, the BBC reported.

Droughts and wildfires this summer were a wake-up call, and winter flooding could leave Wales' food supply vulnerable, an expert has warned.

Wales needs to grow more fruit and vegetables or it will be at the mercy of wars and climate change, the expert said.

Despite 90% of Wales being used for agriculture, only about 0.1% is used for horticulture, the BBC said, citing official surveys.

Fisher, referencing the appeal to grow more produce at home, said the UK"has an incredibly centralised food system with 95% of the food we eat bought from nine supermarkets".

She does not believe it will necessarily be as bad every year, but she accepts there will be more hot summers and unpredictable weather such as flooding.

"There will also be a focus on how to grow more fruit and vegetables in Wales, and we have already begun mapping the current position of the sector with key stakeholders,"a spokesperson said.

Dig deeper

What is Wales?

Wales is a country in the United Kingdom whose schools and shops rely heavily on fruit and vegetables grown elsewhere.

What is horticulture?

Horticulture is the growing of fruit, vegetables and similar crops, and it uses only a tiny share of Welsh farmland despite most of the country being agricultural.

Why does winter flooding matter for Welsh food?

Because so little produce is grown locally, floods, hot summers and disruption abroad can leave supplies exposed through a food system dominated by a few supermarkets.

What happens next?

Officials say the focus will be on growing more fruit and vegetables in Wales, starting with a map of where the sector stands now.

Lire en français