If Britain relied solely on British food then it wouldn't even last a year, study finds

A study has found that if Britain relied exclusively upon British made food then it would run out within the space of a year.

Research from City University’s Centre for Food Policy has found that, without imports, that the UK would struggle to last until the end of the year as the country is now heavily dependent on imported goods.

As reported by The New European, the study was flagged by the National Farmers Union on 'self-sufficiency day.'

The UK is now said to be so dependent on imported produced that consumption of British food has declined to just 64 per cent. In 1980 it was a high as 80 per cent.

47 per cent of vegetables and 93 per cent of fruit are now imported to the UK. This means that if on January 1 2021, when Brexit is fully completed, the food stocks would be empty by August 21, if the UK only ate food made in this country.

Professor Tim Lang, who worked on the study, blamed 'the empire' mentality that Britain is still acting like it has:

A country that has low self-sufficiency puts itself at risk of any geopolitics and we are in exactly that sort of uncertainty now. The world is facing extreme pressures from people, food, climate and landmass. Britain is still acting as though we have an empire. It doesn’t and Britain is assuming others will feed us.

Minette Batters, the NFU president added that the coronavirus pandemic has added to these problems.

Covid has stretched everything to the limit and we have to take a different line on food security and the amount of food that is produced here. It’s the perfect storm of events. This self-sufficiency day sends a message to the government for the need to really prioritise food.

This news is likely to be concerning for some as the government had initially dismissed fears that Brexit would lead to food shortages but this may now need to be reviewed in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Cabinet minister Liz Truss has been a strong proponent of British food and has reportedly asked for Stilton cheese to be part of the UK's post-Brexit trade deal with Japan.