British farming has endured its hardest summer in a generation, prompting warnings that the nation’s food security is increasingly vulnerable. National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw says drought, rising costs, livestock disease and reduced harvests have pushed many viable farms towards serious hardship. NFU research suggests UK self-sufficiency has fallen in ten of eleven major food commodities over the past thirty years, including wheat, meat, and fresh vegetables. Farmers are urging the Government to establish clear food self-sufficiency targets, support domestic production, and provide loans to businesses in crisis. The NFU also wants tax and planning reforms encouraging investment in reservoirs and other infrastructure needed to cope with increasingly unpredictable weather. Environment secretary Angela Eagle acknowledged that farming is as important to national security as energy and defence, noting that around one-third of farmers report making no profit. The Government has announced £65 million of support, including investment in water resilience and measures addressing the bluetongue outbreak affecting livestock across Britain this summer.