Conservatives: Food Security Is National Security
The Welsh Conservatives have today, Thursday 23rd July, pledged to put food security at the heart of national security policy, warning that Wales has become increasingly reliant on imported food after decades of decline in domestic agricultural production.
Andrew RT Davies said Wales needed a long-term plan to reverse the fall in food production, invest in farming and encourage the next generation into agriculture.
Thirty years ago, around 75 per cent of the food consumed in the UK was produced in the UK.
Today, that figure has fallen to less than 60 per cent, leaving the country more exposed to global shocks and international conflicts.
Andrew RT Davies MS, Shadow Minister for Farming and the Environment, said:
“Food security is national security. In an increasingly uncertain world, we cannot afford to become ever more reliant on imported food from overseas.
“Thirty years ago, this country produced around three quarters of the food we consumed. Today that has fallen to less than 60 per cent. That decline should concern everyone.
“Instead of taking productive farmland out of use or making life harder for our farming families, we should be backing them to produce the food our country needs.
“Farmers are the custodians of our countryside and the backbone of our rural economy, but above all they are the people who put food on our tables.
“We want to reverse the decline in food production by investing in Welsh agriculture, embracing innovation and ensuring farming remains a modern, vibrant part of our economy.
“The Welsh Conservatives will always stand up for our farmers and prioritise food security.”
I fail to understand why our politicians, apart from the Welsh Tories, cannot grasp that Wales needs food and that means Welsh farmers, NOT importing food. Why is that such a difficult concept to understand?
I have lost count of the number of times I have posted on this – We Need Farmers For Our Food,
but it seems Plaid and Labour push it continually to one side and give lip service to being green whilst we fly in food from across the world. It doesn’t make sense to me at all.
19 August 2026 @ 11:36
I do not get why the Welsh Government fails to understand how important our food security is and should be.
They should be fully supporting farmers but perhaps it is too difficult to understand that we need to feed Wales.
21 August 2026 @ 08:43
You would have to be an idiot if you didn’t think food security was vital.
Only the Tories seem to take this seriously along with their support for farmers
why our politicians cannot get it that our people need food and our farmers need support to feed them. Importing tons and tons of food each week is bonkers. So much for a greener planet!
25 August 2026 @ 10:40
I didn’t understand the Welsh Labour Government and I don’t understand Plaid their back-up team either – Wales needs to be able to feed its people but without farmers all they can do is important
Sorry it makes no sense to me and I am far from alone thinking that
support our farmers whilst you still have some!