The government must put an end to the UK's reliance on food imports by doubling the land used to grow fruit and vegetables, campaigners say.
In an open letter, nature-friendly farming groups and celebrities have joined voices to call on the prime minister to scale up the UK horticulture sector.
They warn that if the current decline in British fruit and veg continues, the UK will 'face further disaster' for food supply, as well as health and the environment.
Campaigners have highlighted the 'vulnerability' of UK horticulture, warning that public health could be at risk if current trends continue and production declines further.
Figures show that imports currently account for most of the fruit and nearly half of the veg consumed in the UK.
But with government intervention, land used for horticulture in England could double, with a small change needed to take horticulture from around 2% to 4% of farmland.
The letter's signatories include chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Anna Jones alongside author Dr Chris van Tulleken and farming influencers like Sinead Fenton.
Sent to the UK's new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, it points out that more land is currently used to play golf than to produce fruit and veg.
The letter says the horticulture sector faces 'devasting decline', adding that "nearly half of our growers fear for the survival of their businesses"."
"Fruit and veg consumption in the UK is at the lowest level in half a century - less than a third of us eat our five-a-day," it says.
“What’s more, the produce that does reach us is too often imported from countries that are increasingly impacted by extreme weather.
"Almost half of our veg and more than 80% of our fruit is imported. We urgently need more – not less – home-grown fruit and veg, or we face further disaster for supermarket shelves, our health, and the environment.”
The letter, spearheaded mainly by the Soil Association, Sustain and the Wildlife Trusts, calls for Sir Keir to go further than the last government and revive plans for a UK horticulture strategy, which were scrapped last year.
It also calls for the new government to put more money into incentives for fruit and veg production, including organic, alongside tailored support for small-scale growers.
