Your Reading List

Editor’s pick: UK report warns of impact of food crisis

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Published: August 10, 2009

A British government report warns that the UK would be unable to feed itself, says a story on the website of the newspaper the Times of London.

The report says the UK only produces enough food to meet 75 per cent of domestic needs and suggests the food system is overly-dependent on the global production and distribution systems. The article says that makes it fragile and prone to disruption due to anything from worldwide population increase to interruptions in shipping.

Read Also

China seeks improved ties with Canada amid rising trade tensions

China seeks improved ties with Canada amid rising trade tensions

China called on Friday for steps to improve bilateral ties with Canada, saying there were no deep-seated conflicts of interest, following a spike in trade tensions with many of Beijing’s Western trade partners this year.

If that were to happen, the reports says British citizens could quickly wind up facing rationing similar to the Second World War, and vegetarian diets.

The report also notes that the UK has among the highest cereal production capacity in the world, and said this could be used to feed people during times of crisis.

The report also notes that people would have to consume less – which might not be a bad thing. The average number of daily calories eaten as recently as the early 1960s was 2 100, compared to the most recent figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, of 2 800.

The British government also says the current quality of the national diet is of concern, as low-income families consume few fresh fruits and vegetables. The report is the first stage in a national review of food strategy, which is due out later this year.

explore

Stories from our other publications