Summary
This Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust report, authored by Robert K. Craig, investigates the proposition that the low retail price of food in the United Kingdom obscures substantial externalities borne by the public, environment and farming sector. Drawing on existing literature and policy evidence, it argues that without internalising these hidden costs — including environmental damage, healthcare burdens and rural economic decline — market signals will continue to incentivise unsustainable production practices. The report concludes with recommendations directed at policymakers, retailers and consumers to reframe how food value is understood and priced.
UK applicability
The report is explicitly UK-focused and directly relevant to UK agricultural policy, food retail regulation and public health strategy. Its findings are particularly pertinent in the context of post-CAP subsidy reform and ongoing debates around the Food Strategy for England.
Key measures
Estimated external costs of food production; subsidy flows; public health expenditure attributable to diet; environmental costs (soil degradation, water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions); farm-gate versus retail price differentials
Outcomes reported
The report examines the extent to which the retail price of food in the UK fails to reflect its true costs, including environmental degradation, public health burdens, subsidy dependency and social inequity. It assesses the systemic drivers that keep food prices artificially low and the consequences for farmers, consumers and the natural environment.
Topic tags
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