Dig this Thérèse Coffey: pricing not UK winters block to diverse locally grown veg, say farmers

theguardian.com:

The environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, is unlikely to refer to the last week as her salad days.

The beleaguered minister hit the front pages after responding to a question about whether we should be eating less imported food, by saying that this would mean “cherishing turnips”. She was roundly mocked.

But the empty shelves in supermarkets across the country have sparked a frenzy as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and other fresh vegetables have been rationed. This has led many to question if our food system is sustainable: should we be eating fewer imported tomatoes and instead chomping down on our homely turnips?

Britain is around 60% self sufficient in food and for much of the year produces more than enough fruit and veg to go around. But this is always a tricky time of year: the late winter months are known as the “hungry gap”, and yield little more than root vegetables and brassicas. This means lots of fresh food is imported, but bad weather in Morocco and Spain has impacted yields, causing empty shelves here.

Farming campaign group Sustain says empty shelves have been a long time coming, and that this is an issue that goes beyond the hungry gap into structural issues in the sector.

Vicki Hird, their head of sustainable farming, explains: “The weather in Spain and Morocco is part of the problem, and it’s potentially linked to wider changes in climatic conditions. The high cost of gas right now is a critical issue for glasshouse producers. But there are also complications linked to our relationship with European trade partners and a new trade deal three years ago with Morocco which set up differential trade arrangements. Bizarrely it means there’s now more friction, meaning it’s easier for Morrocco to trade with Europe than