UK food bills soar as climate crisis hits overseas farmers and vital imports

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyle(Getty)UK food imports are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, with an analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) revealing that farmers in poorer nations, who supply essential staples like rice, coffee, and chocolate, are suffering severe heat stress. The ECIU found that farmers in 15 key developing countries, which account for 11 per cent (£7.4 billion) of UK food imports, lost 216 billion potential work hours in 2024 due to heat stress, equivalent to nearly 49 working days per worker annually, with these losses accelerating. Experts warn that an 80 per cent likelihood of a warming "El Nino" event this summer could make 2027 the hottest year on record, intensifying the crisis, while UK intelligence officials have previously cautioned that biodiversity loss could trigger global food competition and mass migration. Climate impacts have already added approximately £360 to the average UK household food bill each year, with foods imported from climate-affected regions disproportionately driving food price inflation, which is unlikely to fall quickly. To safeguard food security, experts advocate for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, increasing climate finance for smallholders to adopt resilient farming methods, and supporting sustainable agriculture, while the UK government states its commitment to protecting domestic food production and investing in climate-resilient crops. In fullThe UK food imports most at risk from ‘El Nino’ heat stress this summerThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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