Thu, 19 Feb 2026

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 The two farms in Senegal that supply many of the UK's vegetables

During winter in Britain fresh produce is sent by cargo ship from the West African nation every week.
Two British farms in Senegal are becoming major suppliers of fresh produce to UK supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, and Lidl. The farms, which cover over 2,000 hectares of land, use irrigation systems to cultivate crops such as corn, green beans, spring onions, and chillis in the hot desert climate. The harvested vegetables are then transported by road to a port near Dakar before being shipped to the UK. The farms, run by G's Fresh and Barfoots, supply around 90% of the UK's winter imports of fresh produce. According to analysts, several factors have contributed to this shift, including droughts in Spain, competition for land in southern Europe, and a decline in air freighted produce from East Africa. However, some experts are questioning the environmental impact of shipping vegetables from Senegal to the UK. Emeritus Professor Tim Lang argues that imports from Africa contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and that consumers should prioritize seasonal produce grown in the UK. The farms have created around 9,000 jobs for local people, mostly women, but wages are relatively low at around $4.50 per day. The workers also face harsh working conditions, including high temperatures and limited rainfall. Despite these challenges, the farms are expected to expand further as demand from British consumers remains high. The trend towards importing fresh produce from West Africa is likely to continue, with some experts predicting that it will soon become economically viable to replace UK production with imports from Senegal even during peak summer months.
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