UK farming's calorie output falls below decade average, new figures show
UK farms produced the equivalent of just 101% of the population's calorie requirements in 2025, new government figures show, with agricultural output falling below its longer-term average.
Research published by Defra on Thursday (15 October) found that British agriculture generated the equivalent of 2,150 calories per person per day, compared with an average requirement of 2,119.
The figure is below the five-year average of 105% and ten-year average of 112%, highlighting the relatively narrow margin between the nutritional energy produced by UK farms and the population's theoretical requirements.
However, Defra stressed that the findings do not mean Britain could feed itself without imports, as the calculations exclude food waste and much of the processing that takes place before food reaches consumers.
The new Nutritional Supply of Agriculture in the UK 2025 report examines how domestic agricultural production compares with the population's estimated requirements for calories, protein and other essential nutrients.
Across the 15-year dataset, the estimated proportion of calorie requirements met by UK farming ranged from a high of 131% in 2014 to a low of 94% in 2020.
The latter was the only year in the series when estimated agricultural output fell below the population's theoretical energy requirements.
Cereals made the largest contribution in 2025, providing the equivalent of 54% of the population's calorie needs, followed by livestock products, including meat, milk and eggs, at 31%.
Crops in Defra's vegetable category accounted for a further 16%, although this includes potatoes, beans and sugar beet rather than fresh vegetables alone. Fruit contributed just 0.3%.
While the margin for calories was narrow, UK agriculture produced substantially more than the population's estimated requirements for several other nutrients.
Protein production was equivalent to almost twice the amount needed, reflecting the contribution of both livestock and arable farming.
The findings contrast with separate Defra statistics showing that Britain's food production-to-supply ratio stood at 60% in 2025, rising to 72% for food types that can be commercially produced domestically.
Those figures measure agricultural production against food supply by farmgate value, rather than nutritional content, and are therefore not directly comparable with the new calorie estimates.
Separate government data also show that 58% of food consumed in the UK originated from domestic production in 2025, based on the unprocessed value of food at the farmgate.
The research highlights the importance of maintaining productive British agriculture, while also illustrating how domestic output depends partly on international supply chains.
Defra acknowledged that UK farming relies on imported livestock feed, fertilisers and other inputs, without which nutritional production could be reduced.
The department also warned that changes in weather conditions, farming practices and market demand could affect future output.
The findings have been classified as official statistics in development, with further research planned into processing losses, imported feed and whether domestic production could meet the requirements of a healthy, balanced diet.
The figures underline the contribution British farmers make to the nation's food supply, while raising wider questions about how domestic production can be maintained amid mounting pressures on agricultural businesses.