Food Security
Whether you are a climate change denier or an advocate, the heat is on. Alterations to historical weather patterns and the breakdown of global food distribution are becoming a major problem. Jersey must improve its food security and become more self-sustainable. It can no longer rely purely on imports for its food.
The success of the recent farmers markets, where produce has often sold out within a couple of hours, is proof that that there is a demand for fresh local produce. The question is whether the growing army of smallholdings can scale up production to feed a whole island. Some are keen to expand but cannot find the land to do so. Of the 56% of arable land available, a quarter is used for dairy, and half is used for growing potatoes.
If all our arable land were used to grow produce, there would be enough to feed over 150,000 people every year (using the Ecology Action Organisations data). With 95% of the potato crop grown for a dwindling export market, difficult questions need to be asked about the efficacy of persisting with a monoculture when the need on island is greater.
From field to table imported food is cleaned, processed, shipped, and then shelved before it is purchased. It can exchange hands over eight times before it arrives on the supermarket shelf. The mark up is around four times what the farmer is paid, according to Guy Singh-Watson, the owner of the famous Riverford Farm (turnover of £113 million in 2023/4). He sells direct to the customer. And that is before our government adds 5% GST for good measure.
In the UK grocery market, food accounts for 17.4% of retail of which 60% is grown locally. Retail imports into Jersey in 2024 cost £418.9 million. Potentially the island could save around £44 million if it were to match the UK by growing more locally. That is almost double the profits from potato exports.
Whilst the government scratches its head over the cost of living, especially the price of fresh food, the answer is straightforward. More fresh food is grown on island, cuts out the middlemen. This should make fresh food cheaper and put more money in local farmers pockets to boot.
The lack of growth seen across Jersey fields due to flooding earlier in the year and drought across the summer months is in stark contrast to the green pastures of farmers that use regenerative farming methods. Not only does regenerative farming make the land more resilient, it also reduces the need for staffing (40% of costs), heavy machinery (12%) and expensive agro chemicals (21%). Moving to regenerative and/or organic methods of farming would also stop the addition of carcinogenic PFAs that are blighting our waterways and country lanes. Whilst initially yields may fall, profits increase. We have had the chemical revolution, now we are moving into the biological era.
Get Colin Lever’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
JC Powell in his 1970’s text points out that “it is possible that a person with a holding of less than economic size could be better off than one with a holding of economic size because of the better return on effect.”
Greenhousing is another way of growing crops to protect them from the vagaries of climate change. They grow crops in the desert in Australia, under glass. There are a number of companies on the island that do this already, producing fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers etc for retail.
Over half of the greenhouses on the island are redundant or derelict. Greenhouses are protected by law from being converted into land for building houses but there are conversations afoot to change this. What comes first profits for private renters or food on the table?
There is a consortium looking to bring disused aluminium glasshouses back into use for growing sustainable, chemical free, crops. A pilot scheme is on the cards. The aim is to use solar energy to help make the greenhouses self-sustainable and to deploy graphene film soil heating. This could be a game changer in terms of crop development, extending the seasonality of crops and aid the island’s move to better food security.
There is an increasing use of technology in farming. Drones to monitor crop growth, sensors checking on soil quality. Cattle wearing fit bits. This digital expertise could be expanded across all farming.
Robotics, agrivoltaics and vertical farming are other technological innovations that, with investment, could produce produce in the quantities required for food sustainability. Embracing modern technology will impact further on present, expensive staffing costs within agriculture. While these may not meet the ‘Regen’ ideology, they should not be dismissed in the broader search for better sustainability.
Those with manicured lawns would get a better return on their capital, if they were to turn them into a regenerative smallholding. They would also get free food! We were once told that locals want convenience. Cucumbers wrapped in plastic, perfectly formed tomatoes, potatoes washed and scrubbed. Consumer demand is changing. ‘Regen’ is the new organic. One major retailer already sells ‘regen’ product. The rest are sure to follow. Along with icon Jersey brands such as Jersey Royals & Jersey Dairy, the island could create its own ‘Jersey Farm Fresh’, straight from field to plate.
At 6%, agriculture is the fastest growing business on the island. It is an example of local wealth building in action. Government funded, locally employed, a circular economy. Encouraging though all this is, it is only the beginning. To continue to grow, more investment is essential. In 1993 Jersey’s government spent around 4.6% capital on agriculture and fishing. By 2022 that had dropped to 0.25%. It is now investing around £7 million a year through its Rural Support Scheme. To get back to 1993 levels it would have to invest over £44 million. To reach 1% would demand £9 million per annum. Compare that with rural support in the EU which stands at around 38%. Our local farmers cannot compete with cheap imports, or so we are told. But much can still be done to stimulate our rural economy and reduce capital leakage. What can be achieved depends on how much the government is prepared to invest.
Adapted from Jersey Evening Post (19/08/26)
