Fruit and vegetable consumption in the UK needs to rise by 86 per cent to meet dietary guidelines. Expanding domestic horticulture to meet this demand could add £2.3 billion to the economy, create thousands of jobs and raise farm profits, all while using less land than is currently given to inefficient, government subsidised bioenergy crops.

In this briefing, we outline how a national horticulture strategy could provide the long term direction needed to expand fruit and vegetable production across the UK. This strategy should address critical barriers such as high energy costs, unfair supply chains and a food system skewed towards unhealthy products. A grower-led transition would not only support farm profitability, but also ensure healthier diets and reduce reliance on imports, positioning the UK to meet its health and environmental goals with home grown solutions.

This briefing accompanies Low hanging fruit: a policy pathway for boosting uptake of plant-rich diets, a report produced in collaboration between The Food Foundation, The Good Food Institute and Green Alliance, detailing practical policy proposals to give everyone better access to healthy, sustainable food.

For more information, contact:
Lydia Collas, head of natural environment: lcollas@green-alliance.org.uk