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NFU urges government to recognise food security in its national security strategy

23 June 2025

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Ahead of the national security strategy1, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is calling on the government to match words with action and listen to the experts by ensuring food security is firmly embedded in the scope of the strategy.ÌýÌý

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Expected tomorrow to align with the NATO summit, the strategy will explain how the government intends to keep the UK safe at a time of rising global instability and food should be included in it.Ìý

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The government’s own manifesto states that ‘food security is national security’2, a message ministers have echoed time and again. This aligns with the view of former MI5 Director General, Baroness Manningham-Buller, who said food production is a key pillar of the UK’s critical infrastructure3.Ìý

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Despite this, a recent report by the National Preparedness Commission4Ìý– a committee made up of crises experts – highlights the precarious state of the UK's food system, warning of its vulnerability to shocks and the need for urgent action to bolster domestic food resilience.Ìý

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NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “We are facing into an increasingly volatile world. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report5 forecasts heightened global instability over the next decade, with conflict and economic shocks on the rise and extreme weather becoming the norm. It’s therefore vital that the resilience of our food system is considered a strategic priority.

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“The nation was reminded all too recently of the consequences of fragile food supply chains, with supermarket shelves bare and fresh produce rationed because of high production costs here and bad harvests abroad.ÌýÌý

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“If ministers truly believe theirÌýown words and take the experts seriously, they’ll seize this moment to put food security at the heart of our national security strategy. It’s not just an opportunity – it’s a necessity to safeguard the future of food for the nation.â€Ìý

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More information:Ìý

  1. In March 2025, the government announcedÌýÌýbefore the NATO summit. This is in addition to the strategic defence review.ÌýÌý

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  3. Read moreÌýabout a lecture Baroness Manningham-Buller, former MI5 Director General and Co-President of Chatham House, delivered in November 2022 about food security.ÌýÌý

  4. Read theÌýÌýreport – ‘Just in Case: 7 steps to narrow the UK civil food resilience gap’.Ìý

  5. Read theÌýÌýreport – ‘Global Risks Report 2025’.Ìý