Tesco and Sainsbury's sound alarm over food supplies after heatwaves and wildfires in Europe

The country’s biggest supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, have sounded the alarm over Britain’s food supplies amid a heatwave and wildfires in Europe. In a new letter to Andy Burnham, businesses have urged ministers to tackle issues around food security. They point out that Britain is importing more fruit and vegetables while growing less of its own. ‘The next food shock is not a question of if, but when. To meet it prepared, food has to stop being an afterthought for the Government,’ the letter said. The letter, organised by the Food Foundation charity, has been signed by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, as well as huge food manufacturers Greencore and Danone. It has also received the backing of charities including Barnardo’s, Amnesty International UK and WWF-UK. Pressure on prices: Farms face rising costs while harvests have been hit by extreme weather, businesses have told the Government The UK is grappling with 'three overlapping challenges', including a food supply that is 'exposed to increasingly frequent environmental and geopolitical shocks', prices rising 'much quicker than people’s incomes', and worsening food-related ill-health issues, the letter states. Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, said that the UK food system is ‘dangerously exposed to shocks far beyond our borders’.  This has resulted in higher food prices and the poorest families struggling to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, she said. And British farmers are also ‘struggling to make ends meet,’ Taylor said as farms have been hit by rising costs, such as for fertiliser, and harvests have been damaged by extreme weather. Sainsbury’s chief executive, Simon Roberts, said: ‘Recent weeks have shown just how much pressure our food system is under. We need a more resilient food system that attracts investment, backs British farmers and helps keep affordable, nutritious food on tables across the nation.’ The supermarkets also put childhood obesity on the agenda, pointing out the connection to fresh fruit and vegetables of a healthy diet.  Andrew Selley, chief executive of Bidfood, said: ‘As a foodservice wholesaler, we’re all too familiar with the risks and challenges of resilient food supply, from our network of UK fruit and vegetable growers who are dealing firsthand with all the challenges outlined in this letter, to the price increases that are experienced by both our public and private sector customers.’ Their remarks come as wildfires have ripped through France, Spain and Portugal this summer, damaging crops, while Britain has also faced sweltering temperatures. Firms want to see a 'good food bill' that will set 'legally binding' targets to reduce childhood obesity, increase the proportion of fruit and vegetables grown in Britain, and obligate politicians to be more transparent on their food policies. Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. 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