IN Brief:
- UK meat imports reached £5bn in 2025, up 15% year on year.
- Poultry was the most imported protein, worth almost £2bn, with Poland and the Netherlands accounting for the largest share.
- Co-op is calling for stronger agricultural co-operatives to support domestic food security and resilience.
Co-op has warned that UK meat imports rose sharply in 2025, reaching £5bn and increasing concern over the resilience of domestic food supply chains.
The retailer cited HMRC data showing that UK meat imports increased 15% year on year. Poultry was the most imported protein, worth almost £2bn, with Poland and the Netherlands accounting for the largest share. Imports from Thailand also rose significantly, increasing by nearly 50% compared with 2024.
Co-op, which sells and uses 100% British meat and poultry, is calling for stronger support for agricultural co-operatives as part of a wider effort to improve British food security. The retailer argues that reliance on imported meat exposes the UK to geopolitical disruption, climate instability, and volatility across global food distribution systems.
The call comes as the Co-operative Party prepares policy work focused on the role of farming co-operatives in improving food resilience. The UK has an estimated 526 agricultural co-operatives generating more than £9bn in income, including major producer-owned groups such as Arla and Berry Gardens Growers. There remains scope to expand the model, particularly where farmers need to pool resources, share risk, invest collectively, and improve bargaining power.
Matt O’Hagan, technical director at ESG Drysdale, said: “Our East of Scotland Growers Cooperative dates back to 1987 and brings together 20 member growers across a wide geographical spread. Being grower owned creates genuine alignment between farmers, the land and the route to market.”
He added: “The structure gives farmers a real voice in how their produce is sold and valued, building trust, stability and long-term confidence. That alignment allows us to plan effectively, maintain quality and manage the volatility that continues to challenge the wider sector.”
The import figures expose a difficult balance for the UK meat sector. Processors, retailers, and foodservice operators need reliable supply at commercially viable prices, and imported product can help meet demand. Rising import dependence also increases exposure to border disruption, disease outbreaks, shipping volatility, currency shifts, and competition from other buyer markets.
Poultry is particularly sensitive because it is a high-volume protein category with tight price competition and complex chilled and frozen supply chains. Higher import volumes can affect farmers, processors, hauliers, cold stores, labour planning, and retailers trying to maintain price points while satisfying sourcing commitments.
The figures also sit within a wider food security debate shaped by extreme weather, avian influenza, energy cost volatility, and feed price shocks. More domestic capacity does not remove those pressures, but it can shorten supply chains and retain greater control over production standards, welfare requirements, and assurance systems.
Government support for agricultural co-operatives could influence producer investment, supply contracts, and regional processing strategies. Continued growth in imported proteins would place more emphasis on sourcing contingency plans, customs management, cold-chain capacity, and supplier audits.
The figures do not create a simple divide between domestic and imported meat. They show resilience becoming a procurement and manufacturing issue, rather than a background policy discussion.
