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UK AGRO STATS

Here are some key statistics on the agricultural industry in the United Kingdom:

  • Total agricultural area in the UK is about 17.3 million hectares, covering 70% of the total land area.
  • Around 175,000 people work regularly in agriculture in the UK (2019). This represents about 0.5% of total UK employment.
  • The agricultural sector contributes around £9.9 billion to the UK economy (0.5% of GDP).
  • There are around 115,000 farm holdings in the UK. The average farm size is 70 hectares.
  • The most common farm types are grazing livestock (46% of holdings), cereals (15%), mixed farming (12%), other crop farming (11%), and dairy farming (10%).
  • The poultry industry is the largest livestock sector, producing over 1 billion birds annually. Beef, sheep, pigs, eggs and milk are other major livestock outputs.
  • The main arable crops grown are wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape. Potatoes, sugarbeet and horticultural crops like vegetables and fruits are also important.
  • The UK imports about 40% of its food, with 30% coming from the EU. Its largest food import partners are the Netherlands, Spain, France and Germany.
  • British food exports were worth £23 billion in 2020. The top export destinations are Ireland, France and the United States.

So in summary, agriculture remains an important sector and land use in the UK, though it employs a small fraction of the workforce. The UK has a large production of livestock and key crops but also relies heavily on imported food.

UK FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY STATS

Here are some key statistics on the food and beverage industry in the United Kingdom:

  • The UK food and beverage industry employs around 450,000 people and contributes £28.2 billion to the economy (over 1% of GDP).
  • There are over 7,000 food and beverage manufacturing businesses in the UK. 99% of these are small or medium-sized enterprises.
  • The sector is dominated by meat processing (19% of output), bakery products (11%), dairy products (9%), beverages (8%), and fruit & vegetable products (7%).
  • The UK is the 9th largest food and drink manufacturing nation globally. The sector exports £22.6 billion worth of products annually, with the EU, USA and China as the top export markets.
  • The food service (catering) sector in the UK is estimated to generate over £53 billion in revenue and employ 1.8 million people. There are around 223,000 food service outlets across the country.
  • The UK grocery (retail) market is valued at £182 billion. The top supermarket chains are Tesco (27% market share), Sainsbury’s (15%), Asda (15%), Morrisons (10%), Aldi (8%), and Co-op (6%).
  • On average, households in the UK spend 8% of their total expenses on food and non-alcoholic beverages, amounting to £60 per week.
  • Brits consume around 136 kg of meat per person annually. The largest consumption is poultry (43 kg), followed by pig meat (26 kg), and beef/veal (17kg).

So in summary, the food and beverage industry is a vital manufacturing, retail and hospitality sector in the UK, generating significant output, jobs and exports for the economy.

UK LOGISTISTICS STATS

Here are some key statistics on logistics and transportation related to the agricultural, food and beverage industries in the UK:

  • It’s estimated that over £13 billion is spent annually on food transportation in the UK. This accounts for around 7% of total food supply chain costs.
  • Road transport accounts for the vast majority (over 90%) of food transportation within the UK. Rail, sea and air transport play a smaller role.
  • Over 3.5 million Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) journeyed to, from and within the UK in 2020 to transport food, of which 1.5 million went to or from mainland Europe.
  • International food transport is handled via 77 major ports in the UK. Dover handled over 2.5 million tons of food in 2020 alone.
  • The UK also has over 50 major rail terminals handling imported and exported food cargo. Over 8 billion net tonne kilometers of food freight travelled via rail in 2020.
  • UK airports handled around 290,000 tons of air freighted food in 2020. Heathrow airport accounted for over half of this volume.
  • It’s estimated that over 98% of fresh fruit and vegetables eaten in the UK are transported by road. This includes from major wholesale markets like New Covent Garden Market in London.
  • The cold chain food logistics sector in the UK consisted of over 5,500 refrigerated vehicles and over 4,000 commercial cold storage facilities in 2020.
  • Fuel, driver wages and vehicle costs account for over 75% of road transport costs for the food supply chain in Britain.

So in summary, an extensive transportation and storage network exists in the UK to handle the logistics of its large agriculture and food sectors. Road freight dominates for domestic transport, while ports also play a vital role.

EU AGRO STATS (excluding UK data)

Here are some key statistics about the agricultural industry in the European Union

  • Agricultural land in the EU excluding the UK covers around 165 million hectares. This represents about 41% of the total land area.
  • There are approximately 9.8 million farms in the EU minus the UK. The average farm size is around 15 hectares.
  • Around 22 million people work regularly in agriculture across the EU excluding the UK. This represents about 8.6% of the total workforce.
  • The agricultural sector contributes around 1.3% to the total GDP in the EU excluding the UK.
  • The major agricultural producers are France (18% of output), Germany (15%), Italy (14%), Spain (13%) and Poland (7%).
  • The key agricultural products by volume are cereals (276 million tonnes), milk (160 million tonnes), wine (164 million hectolitres), sugar beet (110 million tonnes) and olives (11 million tonnes).
  • The EU without the UK has a lower degree of food self-sufficiency compared to the EU as a whole. Its imports of agri-food products total around €117 billion annually.
  • The EU excluding the UK spends around €56 billion annually on the Common Agricultural Policy programs. This represents about 38% of the EU budget without the UK.
  • Organic farmland covers around 13.5 million hectares across the EU excluding the UK. Spain, Italy and France have the largest areas of organic agriculture.

So in summary, while the UK has a notable agricultural sector, the EU still maintains significant agricultural output, employment and land use without the UK, given the predominance of countries like France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

EU AGRO STATS (including UK data)

Here are some key statistics about the agricultural industry in the European Union (EU):

  • There are approximately 10.5 million farms in the EU, occupying 174 million hectares of agricultural land. This represents 40% of the total EU land area.
  • The agricultural sector employs around 22 million people in the EU, representing 8.3% of the total EU workforce.
  • Agriculture contributes around 1.2% of the total GDP in the EU. The food and drink industry adds further value, contributing an additional 7% to GDP.
  • The average farm size in the EU is around 16 hectares. However, there are significant differences between member states, ranging from 3-4 ha in Romania and Italy, to 66-84 ha in Czechia, Slovakia and the UK.
  • Around 60% of EU farms focus on grazing livestock production. Arable crop farms account for 25% and permanent crop farms around 15% of holdings.
  • The major agricultural products of the EU by volume are cereals (291 million tonnes), milk (168 million tonnes), sugar beet (117 million tonnes), wine (164 million hectolitres) and olives (11 million tonnes).
  • The largest agricultural producers in the EU are France (17% of output), Germany (14%), Italy (13%), Spain (12%) and the Netherlands (7%).
  • The EU imports around €120 billion and exports around €130 billion worth of agri-food products annually. Top trade partners are the USA, Brazil, China and Canada.
  • The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) shapes agriculture in the EU. It currently represents about 37% of the total EU budget, around €58 billion per year.

So in summary, agriculture remains an important economic sector across the EU’s member states, despite its relatively small share of total GDP. The CAP and integrated food market play key roles in shaping the industry in Europe.

EU FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY STATS

Here are some key statistics about the food and beverage industry in the European Union:

  • There are around 310,000 food and drink manufacturing businesses in the EU minus the UK. Over 99% of these are small or medium-sized enterprises.
  • The food and drink industry employs around 4.24 million people across the EU excluding the UK. This represents about 1.9% of the total workforce.
  • The sector contributes around €241 billion in gross value added to the economy in the EU without the UK. This is about 1.7% of GDP.
  • The largest food manufacturing sectors are meat processing (17%), dairy products (12%), baked goods (11%), animal feeds (8%), and beverages (8%).
  • Germany accounts for the largest share of food and drink output (17%), followed by France (13%), Italy (12%), Spain (11%) and Poland (8%).
  • Food and drink exports from the EU excluding the UK amount to around €90 billion annually. The top markets are the USA, China, Switzerland, Russia and Japan.
  • Food and beverage retail sales in the EU minus UK total around €998 billion. Modern grocery retailers account for over 70% of sales. Traditional small stores still play a key role in Southern and Eastern Europe.
  • On average, households across the EU without the UK spend around 13.1% of their total expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks.

So in summary, the food and beverage industry remains a sizeable manufacturing and retail sector across the EU, even excluding the notable UK market. Germany, France, Italy and Spain are key producers.

EU LOGISTICS STATS

Here are some key statistics about logistics and transportation related to the agriculture, food and beverage industries in the European Union, excluding the United Kingdom:

  • It is estimated that over €200 billion is spent annually on food transportation across the EU minus the UK. This represents around 7-8% of total food supply chain costs.
  • Road freight accounts for the vast majority (over 80%) of food transportation within the EU excluding the UK. Rail, sea and air transport play a smaller role.
  • EU ports (excluding UK ports) handled over 370 million tons of freight in 2020. Of this, around 90 million tons were food products and agricultural commodities.
  • The largest food freight ports in the EU without the UK are Rotterdam (Netherlands), Antwerp (Belgium), Hamburg (Germany), Algeciras (Spain), and Bremerhaven (Germany).
  • The EU minus UK has over 600 major rail terminals handling imported and exported fresh food cargo annually. Over 50 billion tonne-km of food travel by rail each year.
  • EU airports (excluding UK airports) handled around 2.1 million tons of air freighted food products in 2020. Amsterdam airport accounted for over half of this volume.
  • It is estimated that 98% of fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the EU are transported by road. Major wholesale markets play a key role in distribution.
  • The EU cold chain industry excluding the UK consists of around 275,000 refrigerated goods vehicles and around 52,000 commercial cold stores.
  • Fuel, driver and vehicle costs make up over 70% of total road transport costs for the food supply chain in the EU minus UK.

So in summary, an extensive transport and storage infrastructure exists in the EU without the UK to handle agricultural and food logistics, with road freight being the primary mode. Ports also play a major role.

WORLD AGRO STATS

Some key global statistics on agricultural production and population.

  • – World population is estimated to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, up from 7.7 billion currently (UN).
  • – To meet future food demand, global agricultural production will need to increase by about 50% between 2012 and 2050 (FAO).
  • – Asia produces about 60% of the world’s food crops, with China and India as the top producers (Earth Policy Institute).
  • – The top 5 crop commodities globally are sugarcane, maize, rice, wheat and potatoes. For livestock it is cattle, chickens, pigs, sheep and goats (FAO).
  • – World cereal production in 2019 reached 2.7 billion tonnes, up 2.4% from 2018. Asia accounted for 1.3 billion tonnes (FAO).
  • – Average cereal crop yield globally is around 5 tonnes per hectare, but ranges from 1.5 tonnes/hectare in Africa to 8 tonnes/hectare in Europe (FAO).
  • – World fish production peaked at about 179 million tonnes in 2018, with aquaculture representing 46% of production (FAO).
  • – Global meat production continues to grow steadily, reaching 342 million tonnes in 2018. Pork and poultry account for about 80% of production (OECD-FAO).
  • – Genetically modified crops covered 190 million hectares globally in 2018. The main GM crops are soybean, maize, cotton and canola (ISAAA).
  • – Organic agricultural land has also grown steadily, reaching 71.5 million hectares globally in 2017 (FiBL).
  • Depressed areas
  • Here are some statistics on regions facing challenges with agricultural production, malnutrition and food insecurity:
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • – Agriculture accounts for 23% of GDP and employs 65% of the workforce, but productivity remains low. Cereal yields are around 1.3 tonnes/ha compared to 3.5 tonnes/ha globally (FAO).
  • – 33% of sub-Saharan Africans are undernourished, the highest rate globally. Malnutrition causes up to 45% of child deaths in the region (FAO).
  • – Sub-Saharan Africa has seen the greatest increase in the prevalence of severe food insecurity globally, reaching 22.8% of the population in 2019 (FAO).
  • South Asia
  • – Agricultural productivity lags behind other regions. For example, rice yields average 3.3 tonnes/ha compared to 6.8 tonnes/ha in East Asia (World Bank).
  • – Despite progress, 15.1% of the population in Southern Asia remains undernourished. India has the highest child malnutrition rates globally (FAO).
  • – Severe food insecurity has increased in Southern Asia. In India, 14.5% of the population was severely food insecure in 2014-16 (FAO).
  • Latin America and Caribbean
  • – While agriculture remains important economically, productivity gaps limit competitiveness. Cereal yields average 3.5 tonnes/ha (World Bank).
  • – Undernourishment increased to 6.8% of the population in 2019, reversing decades of progress. Conflict and economic recessions are key factors (FAO).
  • – Severe food insecurity reached 9.5% across Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019, an increase from 7.4% in 2014-16 (FAO).
  • Waste across the world
  • Here are some statistics about food loss and waste globally:
  • – Roughly one third of all food produced for human consumption, approximately 1.3 billion tons, is lost or wasted each year globally (FAO).
  • – Food loss and waste amounts to $680 billion in industrialized countries and $310 billion in developing countries annually (FAO).
  • – Fruits and vegetables have the highest wastage rates of any food type, around 45% (FAO).
  • – In industrialized regions, over half of food loss and waste occurs at the consumer level in restaurants and homes. In developing regions, over 40% is lost post-harvest or during processing (FAO).
  • – Food wastage’s carbon footprint is estimated at 3.3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent released per year. If food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third largest GHG emitter (FAO).
  • – In the US, around 30-40% of the food supply goes uneaten, equaling $165 billion in waste per year (USDA).
  • – The average American family throws away 25% of groceries purchased, totaling $1,600 annually in discarded food (American Chemical Society).
  • – In the UK, household food waste totals 5.3 million tons annually, with the average household throwing away £470 worth of edible food (WRAP).
  • – Better consumer awareness and education on food storage, meal planning, expiration dates and food safety could help reduce household waste in developed countries.