Wales faces a growing threat to its food security, with experts warning that current levels of domestic fruit and vegetable production are insufficient to withstand climate-related shocks or international conflicts.
The country currently imports over 94% of its produce — including what is served in schools — relying heavily on supply chains from regions prone to droughts, wildfires, and extreme heat such as southern Europe and North Africa.
A wake-up call: summer extremes reveal vulnerabilities
Droughts and record-breaking heat during the summer months acted as a stark reminder of how fragile Wales' agricultural system has become. At Wern Farm near Newtown, Powys, Lydia Dibben, one of the local growers, described working under intense conditions that pushed her physical limits.
"I was getting out to the field at 05:00," she said. "Then working until it got just too hot to be outside — like 11:00 some days, maybe even earlier." She added that polytunnels became unusable by 9:00 am due to extreme temperatures, forcing workers indoors and only able to return after 17:00. By midnight, they had to complete watering duties before the day ended.
Dibben noted a significant drop in crop yields despite what she described as 'maximum' water inputs. "Even things we felt like we were giving as much water as possible still weren't growing as well as expected," she said. "We've not had our water bill yet for this summer — but I dread to think how high it might be."
Systemic flaws in UK food distribution
Duncan Fisher, co-founder of Our Food Trust and behind efforts to expand local horticulture in Wales, pointed out that the UK's food system is highly centralized: 95% of consumed goods come from just nine supermarkets.
Fisher described a 'just-in-time' model where food is stored only in lorries on motorways, making the entire supply chain vulnerable to cyberattacks or transport disruptions. "If the system goes wrong," he said, "there’s no resilience — the food runs out immediately."
Barriers for new farmers remain significant
A major obstacle identified by Fisher and his team is access to stable housing for farm operators. Farmers must live onsite to protect crops during storms or animal intrusions — such as sheep entering fields that could destroy an entire crop within hours.
Fisher explained: "They have to get out there and protect things if a high wind hits at night. If a sheep gets in, they need to remove it before everything is destroyed in one hour. So they have to live on the land."
However, planning regulations make it difficult to build homes on farmland. To address this, Fisher and colleagues have partnered with Powys Council and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority to construct three temporary farmhouses on 36 acres of council-owned land.
A call for local resilience
Dibben believes that many people are interested in farming but face barriers such as rent costs and lack of access to land. Without affordable housing or land availability, she said, aspiring farmers would be forced into other jobs — reducing their capacity to grow food locally.
"If my home wasn’t provided," Dibben stated, "I’d need another job just to afford rent, and then I wouldn't have enough time to work the farm." She added: "We’re doing 50 veg boxes a week on less than an acre — feeding hundreds of people."
Policies under development
The Welsh government has acknowledged these challenges and confirmed 'significant progress' in developing a national food strategy aimed at building a more resilient, integrated, and sustainable system. It is currently mapping key stakeholders across the sector to identify gaps.
Meanwhile, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it recognizes the difficulties faced by local growers and announced plans to reduce planning red tape as part of broader efforts to support agriculture.
Fisher remains hopeful that Wales can grow more fruit and vegetables locally — envisioning a future where every 10 miles along rural roads hosts a small farm producing fresh produce. "If there was a farm like ours every 10 miles throughout Wales," he added, "that would be a pretty great future in my eyes."