CEO discovers agritech's crucial role in UK food security

Intelligent Growth Solutions is an Edinburgh-based businesses offering industrial-scale vertical farms across the world, growing a variety of crops and plants within a optimal growing environment.

How do you believe the recent agricultural grants announced by Rishi Sunak will impact British farmers and their reliance on imports?

These technology grants are vital as we look to prove how agritech can help address the need to produce high-quality food more reliably within the UK and offer farmers a route to diversify and protect their livelihoods.

The drastic reduction in crops expected due to the wet weather has shown just how vulnerable British farms are. This, on top of a poor turnout from MPs at the food security debate earlier this month, means more farmers are feeling unheard and unsupported.

Can you elaborate on the significance of agritech in addressing the need for better quality food production within the UK?

Agritech innovations such as vertical farming and automation technologies help improve the efficiency of agricultural operations. By optimising land use, reducing waste, and producing a higher yield of crops, agritech enables farmers to produce more food with fewer inputs, ultimately leading to better quality food production.

We need more sustainable and environmentally-friendly food production systems. These technologies can also minimise and completely eradicate the use of fertilisers, which have become costly recently, and integrated pest management helps conserve water, reduce chemical use, and protect natural resources.

In the future, we could see agritech expose new market opportunities for UK farmers, by enabling the production of niche or specialty crops, value-added products, or customised food solutions tailored to consumer preferences.

What are the main challenges that UK farmers face in competing with cheap imports, and how do you propose these challenges be addressed?

Often imported produce comes from countries with lower production costs, such as lower labour costs, land prices, or regulatory standards. This results in cheaper imported goods that undercut the prices of domestically produced goods, making it difficult for UK farmers to compete on price alone.

On top of this, a new trade report from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which assessed the period between January and December 2023, warns that new trade barrier rules in the UK could reverse export growth, push up prices for shoppers, and reduce investment. The FDF estimates that the implementation of the new rule will cost the industry between £150m-£200m.

Greater integration of technology solutions could help the UK to move away from our current heavy reliance on complicated, carbon-intensive global supply chains, and instead look to relocalise food production with a guaranteed year-round supply.

How does the dwindling self-sufficiency in key crops like tomatoes and lettuce affect the availability of fresh, locally-produced salads in the UK?

Decreased self-sufficiency means that the UK becomes more dependent on imports to meet the demand for tomatoes, lettuce, and other salad ingredients, leaving us vulnerable to factors such as currency fluctuations, trade disruptions, and changes in global supply chains.

It’s also worth noting that imported produce is rarely, if ever, as fresh (or as tasty!) as locally-grown produce, especially if it has been transported long distances. Additionally, it often has a reduced shelf life, offers decreased nutritional value, and may be bruised or damaged in transit.

And for those UK farmers who specialise in salad production, declining self-sufficiency can have significant economic consequences – potentially impacting the viability of local salad farming operations and rural economies.

What additional actions do you think the government should take to support UK farmers, beyond providing grants for agritech and food productivity?

We need more synergy between retailers and local growers or farmers. Lots of consumers want to buy locally, so regulations requiring supermarkets to provide clear and accurate information to consumers about the origin of food products would help improve demand and improve transparency in the supply chain. For produce grown indoors using technology such as vertical farming, a stamp or identifying marker akin to the Red Tractor logo, guaranteeing its origin and quality, would also help to drive consumer demand and increase adoption.

More regulations can also ensure fair competition in the food retail sector, preventing anti-competitive practices that may limit consumer choice or harm smaller producers, fostering a more diverse and competitive marketplace.

How do you envision homegrown agritech transforming the UK’s food supply, particularly in addressing seasonal shortages like those seen with lettuce imports in January?

We will have an abundance of fresh, high-quality and nutritious food on our shelves! And, hopefully, supported and happy farmers.

In recent years, there’s been huge pressure on finding climate-positive food and with farmers struggling to keep on track with planting seasons due to extreme weather events and rising energy and fertilisers costs, reliance on world market supplies have been unreliable.

Homegrown agritech presents opportunities for farmers to shorten supply chains and for a new group of growers to enter the industry. Vertical farming, for example, allows cities to become far more self-sufficient, by supplying restaurants, local shops and hotels with healthy, locally-grown produce.

What role do you believe British supermarkets should play in supporting British produce, and how can the government encourage this support?

Supermarkets play a really crucial role in supporting British produce, and therefore British farmers. Their role as intermediaries between farmers and consumers gives them significant influence in shaping consumer preferences and supporting a vibrant local food economy.

Establishing sourcing policies that prioritise British produce whenever possible is a good example of how supermarkets can work better with local growers. On top of this, supply-chain transparency and fair pricing for local produce instead of relying on cheaper imports could provide more stability for farmers, enabling them to invest in their operations and maintain quality standards.

In what ways can agritech help farmers diversify their operations and increase productivity, as indicated by the survey findings?

Methods such as vertical farming technology can increase crop yields, conserve water, and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilisers. They also allow farmers to grow crops year-round in any location, regardless of climate or season, delivering a stronger yield with greater consistency.

Often, this type of technology can be integrated with existing systems or operations seamlessly, for example by using a vertical farm to grow seedlings or propagules prior to planting out into a more traditional environment like a field or greenhouse. Flexible modular devices can also be custom-designed to suit the needs and scale a grower requires.

How can the government better support farmers who are considering leaving the industry, as indicated by the survey results?

More needs to be done to break down barriers to agricultural diversification and the adoption of sustainable farming practices. Many of those looking to leave the industry are doing so due to the perceived lack of opportunities or financial restrictions. To ensure both that we don’t lose invaluable insights, knowledge and experience, and that new generations are encouraged to join the agricultural industry, there must be greater availability of transitioning grants, education and training to enable diversification.

What do you see as the long-term benefits of prioritising self-sufficiency in food production for the UK, both economically and environmentally?

More economic stability, food security, better environmental sustainability, and higher quality produce to name but a few. From an economic perspective, we would be less vulnerable to fluctuations in global markets, currency exchange rates, and geopolitical tensions.

From a more environmental-focused lens, being more self-sufficient in food production would mean a significantly lower carbon footprint due to reduced transportation distances. By supporting diversified farming practices, we can help preserve biodiversity, promote soil health, and reduce reliance on intensive farming methods that damage ecosystems.