Food In the UK

• high value food = exotic fruits/vegetables, spices and coffee - they have become more popular due to an increase in people's incomes
• seasonal products = food that is only available during the months that it grows, fruit/vegetables are imported to meet demands all year round
• organic produce is increasing due to peoples concern about chemicals used in food production (pesticides), organic food is strictly regulated allowing people to choose it
• growing, processing and packaging food produces CO2 and other greenhouse gases - 10% of the UKs total greenhouse gas emissions in 2017 came from agriculture
• food miles = distance food travels from where it is grown to where it is sold
• carbon footprint = amount of greenhouse gas produced whilst growing, packing and transporting food
• agribusiness = large scale industrial farming where all processes are controlled by large firms
• UK farms have been changing due to agribusiness:

  • farm sizes have increased and small farms have been taken over
  • the amount of chemicals used in food production has been increasing
  • the number of workers employed in agriculture has fell to over 1.1% of the UKs employment in 2017