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A report by Rebalance Earth reveals that 81% of England’s fresh produce comes from regions at moderate to very high risk of drought. This includes 77% of wheat, 75% of barley, and 74% of oilseed rape grown in areas with water stress. The analysis highlights the economic impact of drought on crop yields and food supply chains, potentially leading to higher prices for consumers. Kirsty Wilman from Rebalance Earth warns that while drought often receives less attention than flooding, its effects can be severe, affecting nearly three-quarters of staple crops like wheat and barley in high-risk areas.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Rebalance Earth, a nature-focused investment fund, reports that 81% of England's fresh produce is grown in areas with moderate to very high risk of drought. The analysis found that 77% of wheat, 75% of barley, and 74% of oilseed rape are cultivated in these at-risk regions. Additionally, 30% of wheat and barley, along with significant portions of sugar beet and potatoes, face an acute drought risk. Areas like East Anglia, known as the “breadbasket,” and Kent, the “garden of England,” are particularly vulnerable to prolonged dry periods, impacting essential food supplies and potentially leading to higher prices and strained supply chains across the UK.
Written for “UK Food Supply Drought Risk” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The vast majority of the UK’s essential foods, including cereals, potatoes, sugar and oil, are grown in areas of England rated as having a moderate to very high risk of drought.
asserted
majority → include → drought
A very high proportion – 81% – of England’s fresh produce is concentrated in parts of the country that are already experiencing water stress, according to the analysis by nature-focused investment fund Rebalance Earth.
uncertain
that → concentrate → Earth
Three-quarters of England’s wheat (77%), barley (75%) and oilseed rape (74%) grow in parts of the country rated as being at a moderate to very high drought risk, along with 70% of sugar beet and 67% of potatoes, it found.
asserted
it → grow → potatoes
Meanwhile, Rebalance Earth found about a quarter of the country’s staple crops are grown in areas facing an acute risk of drought, including 30% of wheat and barley, 28% of oilseed rape, 27% of fresh produce and 21% of potatoes.
asserted
quarter → find → potatoes
“Drought builds slowly and quietly, and rarely gets the same attention as flooding, but its impact runs right through the economy: lower yields, strained supply chains and higher prices in all of our shopping baskets,” said Kirsty Wilman, its chief operating and financial officer.
asserted
Wilman → build → baskets
Some of England’s traditionally most productive agricultural areas – such as East Anglia, long known as the country’s “breadbasket”, and Kent, often described as the “garden of England” – are among those facing the greatest pressure from drought and have seen prolonged periods of dry weather in recent years.
asserted
Some → know → years
The yield from this year’s cereals harvest in England and Wales has been described as “disappointing” in the final 2026 harvest report from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), with volumes of wheat, spring barley and oats below historic averages across the UK.
asserted
volumes → describe → UK
Crop yields are also significantly lower than normal on the Elveden estate in Suffolk, which is owned by the Guinness family and includes 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres) of farmed land.
asserted
which → own → land
“For three years out of five we have been in drought conditions,” said Andrew Blenkiron, who manages the farms on the estate in Breckland, an area on the Suffolk-Norfolk border known for its sandy soil.
asserted
who → say → soil
One of England’s largest commercial farms, they grow cereals including wheat and barley and root crops including onions and potatoes.
asserted
they → grow → onions
“Water for food is key for us to function as a business and make sure we produce 100,000 tonnes of food here on an annual basis,” he added.
asserted
he → function → basis
Despite the challenges, Blenkiron believes the UK needs to better use its water resources to continue growing staple foods in productive areas: “If we didn’t grow on this land that is totally suitable for it, we would just import more and let other people deplete their natural resources.”
asserted
people → believe → resources
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