The latest Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit research reveals how the UK has experienced the wettest 18 months since 1836, and how this has affected UK crop farming and food security. The analysis predicts a significant decline in arable crop output for 2024, with wheat, barley, oats, and oilseed rape production estimated to drop by up to a fifth compared to 2023.
The estimated decrease in crop output could lower the UK’s self-sufficiency from 86% to 78% by volume; with wheat self-sufficiency expected to fall sharply from 92% to 68%, and oilseed rape down to historically low levels, from 75% self-sufficiency to 40% in 2024
This article in the Context, by Thomson Reuters Foundation, summarises the report’s findings and government response to date. It emphasises the importance of aiding farmers in climate-vulnerable countries and incorporating food and farming into national climate action plans. The article calls for a new strategy to help farmers transition to sustainable methods and invest in infrastructure to combat climate change’s effects on agriculture.