The Archbishop of York has issued a call to consumers to "buy British, buy locally and buy direct from farmers".
Dr John Sentamu was giving an address on food security and self sufficiency to the York East National Farmers Union.
"Food security is important to us not only as a nation but globally," he told union members.
"Discussions around the issue of food security tend to confuse domestic self-sufficiency with the wider issue of food security.
"We need to try to consider what can be done to increase food security both nationally and internationally and also what role self-sufficiency might have in this."
The Archbishop suggested that the nation's food strategy shift from a reliance on food imports to self-sufficiency.
"I believe self-sufficiency is an increasingly important part of any domestic food security strategy, in which government and wider society must play their part.
"This does not mean a ban on any foods produced abroad. But let's identify those foods which can be produced locally and let's urge a return to a 'buy British' mindset for the food that we eat.
"Not through some simplistic nationalism but rather because of the plain sense it makes in terms of economy, sustainability and security."
Dr Sentamu pointed to the importance of livestock farming for the rural economy and widespread support among the British public for home-reared meat - a recent YouGov poll found that 72 per cent of the population want to be able to buy British beef and lamb.
"At a local level, grazing livestock are a key component in the rural economy, supporting feed businesses, veterinary practices, machinery dealers and repairers and agricultural merchants," he said.
"If cattle and sheep disappear from the English uplands, they will take very many jobs with them."
The Archbishop added that there was a "growing sense of unease" about the power of globally-sourcing supermarkets, the sharp decline in farm incomes, and public health concerns over food safety, as well as energy security and climate change.
Dr Sentamu urged the Government to launch a campaign to encourage consumers to buy locally and buy directly from farmers, noting that many livestock farmers were caught in financial hardship.
"The situation for many livestock farmers is that they would be better off financially if they gave up producing cattle and sheep.
"Add in the other risks associated with keeping livestock and the disincentives to continue with production enterprises will soon become overwhelming."
