Spanish floods highlight need for domestic food resilience

The devastating flash flooding in Spain has again highlighted the vital need for domestic food resilience in the face of climate change, warn farm leaders.

Torrential rain and hurricane-force winds in Valencia have caused massive damage to both infrastructure, and regional cropping and livestock sectors, after a year’s worth of rain fell in just eight hours on Tuesday 29 October.

Farming union Ava-Asaja (Valencian Association of Farmers) reported “catastrophic losses” that could lead to widespread crop failures and even permanent loss of some plantations.

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Thousands of hectares of citrus, persimmon, vegetables, vines, and other crops have been hit hard by excess moisture, which risks tree death if flooding persists, it said.

The economic toll of the “Dana” (the Spanish acronym translates to high-altitude isolated depression) storm remains under assessment, but Ava-Asaja has indicated that losses will likely be severe and support from the Spanish government will be crucial to help Valencian agriculture recover from this unprecedented event.

Spain provides about 32% of the UK’s fruit and veg imports, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuces, broccoli and citrus fruit.

Most of this produce is grown in Almeria’s 40,000ha of greenhouses, many of which will have been wiped out by the storm.

Responding to the Spanish floods on X, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “When we talk about the need for domestic food resilience in the face of climate change – this tragic situation is why.

“Yet today, the Budget makes it significantly more expensive to produce the food in this country and there is no way farmers and growers can absorb the cost!”

Food security ‘exposed’

Liz Webster, founder of the Save British Farming lobby group, told Farmers Weekly the UK is too reliant on food imports, adding that the government must do more to ensure UK horticulture businesses remain in business.

“Once again, the exposure for our food security is about to be tested. We are heavily reliant on this region in winter time, particularly for fresh fruit, salads and vegetables,” she said.

“We have lost our ability to provide a lot of salads in the winter time because the previous government did not help glasshouses stay open.”

The latest storm comes after a hailstorm in September 2023 in Valencia damaged 14,973ha of crops ready to be harvested, causing an estimated £33m worth of damage.

The storm also decimated much of the region’s food-producing vines, trees and shrubs.

Defra response

A Defra spokesperson said: “Food security is national security and this government’s commitment to farmers and the vital role they play, remains steadfast.

“We have just allocated the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature recovery in our country’s history and we are optimising the ELM schemes to ensure they produce the right outcomes for farmers, while delivering food security.

“We are also supporting farmers with the exceptional impact of flooding, paying out £60m through the Farming Recovery Fund and we will protect farmers from being undercut in trade deals, use the government’s purchasing power to back British produce and ensure we have a resilient and fair supply chain so farmers get the deal they deserve.”