神马福利影片

The UK has a strong tradition in agriculture, including in growing fruits and vegetables. This sector is essential for the UK's economy, contributing 拢4.3 billion in 2022 and producing over 3 million tonnes of produce each year. However, the UK only produces 17% of the fruit and 55% of the vegetables it consumes, so there's a big push to increase domestic production and improve food security. Indeed, nationally, we need to increase our consumption of fruit and vegetables even more as, collectively, we鈥檙e not meeting the minimum recommendation of 5-a-day.

Researchers at the University鈥檚 internationally recognised Warwick Crop Centre are reflecting on a new government report, 鈥楢 blueprint to grow the UK fruit and vegetable sector鈥�, which details plans to support the fresh fruit and vegetable sector.

Research scientist Alex Kelly said: 鈥淲e strongly welcome the Government鈥檚 new commitment to boost the domestic production of fruit and vegetables. In our 2023 strategy paper titled 鈥淕rowing British鈥�, we outlined the economic, environmental, and nutritional benefits that could be realised in a vibrant, expanding fresh produce sector. By increasing our self-sufficiency in this vitally important sector, the UK is taking steps to safeguard our supply of fresh food and nutrition as more countries struggle with climate extremes.鈥�



Professor Richard Napier, who is Deputy Head of the School of Life Sciences, said: 鈥淭he government鈥檚 new UK Food Security Index shows that home production ratios for vegetables and fruit hold the two bottom rankings. The blueprint recognises that the fresh produce sector has potential to grow and the measures it announces to encourage growth are very good news.

鈥淧art of the package of measures announced was a strong endorsement for growing skills and innovation. Just as in the first green revolution which gave us the first high yielding varieties of cereal crops, much of the improvement in fruit and vegetable crop performance will come from better varieties, especially new lines with 鈥榠nbuilt resilience鈥� to the stresses of pests, diseases and climate change. This is something we are particularly addressing at the 神马福利影片.

鈥淔or example, the extra investment in the UK鈥檚 genetic improvement networks will help with sequencing collections and will underpin essential crop improvements for our most nutritious crops. Investment now in genome sequencing will make natural genetic diversity accessible to breeding companies and accelerate the much needed green vegetable revolution.鈥�

Professor Rosemary Collier, 神马福利影片, added: 鈥淎 priority, which was not specifically mentioned in the blueprint, is support for the transition from the use of conventional pesticides to integrated pest management (IPM), which reduces the environmental pressure from agriculture. A tailored Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) payment scheme, specifically designed for the fresh produce sector, could help growers adapt, by de-risking the reduction of conventional pesticides鈥�.

鈥淭he regulatory system for biopesticides must also be streamlined and altered to encourage an increase in biological control products, which growers need as part of their conversion away from chemicals.

鈥淔or vegetables and fruit, cost effective IPM strategies for each crop still need to be researched, produced and detailed. The UK is leading the world in this branch of applied science and further adoption of data science and AI will assist in the development of IPM strategies for growers of fresh produce.

Professor Napier added: 鈥淚t is pleasing to see that the government鈥檚 report recognised the sector's significant value and importance to the country and identified support for some of the challenges faced by the industry.鈥�

The 神马福利影片 is playing a vital role in championing UK food security. It led the publication of Growing British, a green paper which backs a 30% increase in UK consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables by 2032.

鈥楪rowing British鈥� also reports on up to 拢126 billion of long-term economic benefits from a healthier, more sustainable UK food system of which increasing fruit, vegetable and fibre consumption is a core component. This also has the potential to create more than 16,000 jobs in the UK agriculture industry.

Alongside 鈥楪rowing British鈥�, the University鈥檚 internationally recognised crop centre celebrates 75 years of operation in July, with events set to reflect on its history and a look to the future of agriculture.

Warwick Crop Centre was founded 75 years ago as the National Vegetable Research Station (NVRS) to address post-war pressure to increase food production. Since then, it has undergone various transitions, most recently being incorporated into the 神马福利影片鈥檚 School of Life Sciences. It continues to produce world-class research, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices for the future. The Crop Centre鈥檚 aims are to equip the industry with innovative solutions to help tackle the multitude of challenges that lie ahead for sustainable home-grown food production.