Feeding Britain from the Ground Up (Sustainable Food Trust)

Here’s a structured summary of “Feeding Britain from the Ground Up” (Sustainable Food Trust, June 2022)

Purpose & scope

The report asks: what would a UK-wide transition to sustainable, ecologically based farming look like, in terms of land use, food production, diets, trade and food security?
It models an approach based on agroecological / land-sharing principles rather than intensified “land sparing” methods.
The authors aim to be transparent about assumptions, trade-offs and uncertainties.

They do not tie themselves to any single label (organic, regenerative, biodynamic), but instead define guiding principles:
– The farm as an ecosystem
– Circular economy (reduce, recycle, nutrient cycling)
– Health & wellbeing (soil, plants, animals, humans, environment)
Key characteristics of the modeled sustainable systems include:
• Minimising use of non-renewable external inputs, synthetic fertilisers, pesticides
• Using crop rotations with fertility-building phases (legumes, pasture)
• Integrating livestock grazing (on land unsuitable for crops) with ecological management
• Reducing and recycling waste both on-farm and in supply chains
• Promoting diversity (crops, genetics, enterprises, landscape)
• Producing nutrient-dense, high quality food rather than just maximizing yield
• Delivering social, cultural, and community benefits (jobs, engagement, wellbeing)

The authors use a 4-step modelling approach (detailed in Chapter 3) to simulate a transition across all UK agricultural land under these sustainable principles.
They estimate how land use would shift, how much food would be produced under those systems, and what dietary patterns would align with those production levels.
They explore implications for self-sufficiency, trade (imports/exports), and nutritional adequacy under more sustainable diets.
They are explicit about modelling limitations, uncertainties, and trade-offs.

A widespread shift toward mixed farming is projected: arable areas would re-incorporate grazing, and some grassland would move toward cropping in historically non-cropped regions.
Woodland cover is assumed to increase by close to 1 million hectares, plus more agroforestry and land allocated for nature/conservation.
Across farms, integration of trees, habitat-rich margins and ecological features would expand.

Vegetables and fruits: output would roughly double, with greater crop diversity and more distributed production.
Pulses (beans, peas): production also projected to double, both for rotation benefits and dietary use.
Grains / cereals: production would fall by about 50%, largely due to reduced synthetic inputs and a lower area under intensive cereal crops.
Chicken, pork, eggs: steep declines — chicken & pork down ~75 %, eggs ~50 %, as systems shift to higher welfare, lower input, free-range models.
Beef & lamb: remain roughly stable, as grazing systems continue to play a role.
Milk / dairy: projected to fall by ~25 %, due to transition to pasture-based systems with lower yields.

Under diets aligned to what such a sustainable UK agriculture could supply (less meat, more vegetables/pulses, less waste), self-sufficiency could be maintained or even improved relative to current levels.
The model suggests that with dietary shifts and waste reduction, the UK would not need to increase imports relative to today.
Diets would feature increased seasonal vegetables, pulses, more diverse cereals (e.g. oats, rye), more modest consumption of chicken, pork and dairy (but of higher welfare/quality).

Transitioning at scale requires major shifts in policy, economics, infrastructure, finance, education and consumer behaviour.
Subsidy systems would have to be redirected, applying “polluter pays” principles, and regulatory interventions would become more important.
Financial institutions, investment, banks and the private sector need to be aligned to support sustainable farming.
Decentralised processing, distribution and supply chains will need investment to handle more diverse, localised outputs.
Consumer education, food & farming literacy, public campaigns will be needed to support dietary change and reduction in food waste.
Food prices are expected to rise under the new systems. To protect food access for low-income groups, government intervention will be essential.
Monitoring, metrics and transparency will matter: the report calls for the development of internationally harmonised frameworks to measure agricultural sustainability and link them to food labelling.

The authors conclude that a transition to agricultural methods more aligned with ecological limits is feasible in the UK, if accompanied by dietary change and waste reduction.
They argue that with proper enabling policies and investment, a sustainable farming system could maintain or even improve food security and self-sufficiency while delivering environmental and social benefits.
Key recommendations include: redirecting subsidy and regulatory frameworks, mobilising finance, restructuring infrastructure, enhancing monitoring systems, and fostering public engagement/education.
The report is explicit that uncertainties, trade-offs and value judgments are inherent: other modelling choices might lead to different outcomes.

If you like, I can also produce a one-page infographic summary, or pick out the most contentious assumptions and caveats. Do you want me to do that?