UK must stockpile food in readiness for climate shocks or war, expert warns

"The UK produced far less food than it needed to feed itself, and as a small island that relied on a few large companies to feed its giant population, it was particularly vulnerable to shocks. The first UK Food Security Report in December 2021 found the country was 54% food self-sufficient."

"The default position that others can feed us is hardwired into the British state system, and indeed into the nature of how agrifood capitalism works in Britain. Others are wiser. Other countries are stockpiling. Other countries have much more flexibility in their systems than we do. What we glorify as efficiency is now vulnerability."

"Other countries have emergency stockpiles in case of war, food contamination or climate shocks. Switzerland still has a stockpile sufficient to feed its entire population for three months and is increasing it to a year. The UK government's advice to households is to have three days' worth of food in their cupboards."

The UK is dangerously unprepared for food security crises, producing only 54% of the food needed to feed its population. As a small island dependent on a few large companies and imports, Britain faces significant vulnerability to climate shocks or wars. Other wealthy nations like the US, France, and Australia are food self-sufficient, while European neighbors including the Netherlands (80%) and Spain (75%) maintain higher self-sufficiency rates. Countries such as Switzerland maintain emergency stockpiles sufficient to feed their populations for months or years. The British government currently advises households to keep only three days of food supplies and has no plans to improve national food self-sufficiency or set production targets, relying instead on the assumption that other nations will supply food.

Read at www.theguardian.com