Urgent call made to improve UK food systems resilience

The UK’s food security is in dire straights and needs urgent attention if the government wants to improve the country’s resilience to global food shocks, a new National Preparedness Commission report suggests.

Issued on Thursday (6 February), it provides a stark warning to decision-makers, reminding them that the UK’s post-War food system, while revolutionary in its time, is no longer fit for purpose.

See also: Land Use Framework sparks fears for food security

Lead author Prof Tim Lang at the University of London highlights that aiming for civil food resilience is not a simple matter of keeping a few tins under the bed, but requires infrastructure, guidance and support.

The report provides a critical framework to ensure that the UK’s food systems are resilient, sustainable and able to feed the nation in both ordinary and extraordinary times.

Recommendations

Among 15 key recommendations, the report calls for new legislation to formalise the state’s obligation to feed the public in a time of crisis.

A new legally defined UK food policy, including increased domestic production, is also recommended.

Elsewhere, the authors urge changes to food distribution systems, the introduction of town-to-town food resilience learning exchanges, and research into current thinking on stockpiling and rationing, all to better prepare Britain for food shocks.

“To safeguard our future, we must prioritise resilience at every level – from local communities to national frameworks, ” said Prof Lang.

“There is too much complacency about UK food security, and civil food resilience barely features at all in forward planning.”

NFU response

Supporting the recommendations, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said the report should give the government’s memory a nudge, reminding them of recent fresh produce rationing in supermarkets.

“This report could not be clearer – food security is absolutely vital to our nation’s resilience, but our current food system is not where it needs to be to withstand future crises,” said Mr Bradshaw.

He added that if the government meant what it said – that food security is critical to national security – then the Commission’s warning should be taken seriously.

Defra response

“Our cross-Government food strategy will make sure our food system can continue to feed the nation, realise its potential for economic growth, protect the planet, and nourish individuals, now and in the future.  

“We cannot do this alone, which is why we are working with those across the food sector, utilising their expertise, to transform the industry for good,” a government spokesman said.