A group of over 150 experts has warned that the British government is complacent about food as a national security matter and lacks a plan to feed the population during a crisis. The experts, including academics, business leaders, and community groups, delivered their warning in an open letter, urging the government to treat food as a national security issue and build a more resilient food system.
The letter highlights threats to food chain security such as the climate crisis, geopolitical shocks, cyber-attacks, and energy outages. Signatories cautioned that the current "just-in-time" delivery system, with minimal stock held along the supply chain, is inadequate for today's challenges. The UK also lacks national food storage, having dismantled strategic stockpiles established during World War II in the 1990s.
The experts pointed to the food system's exposure to various shocks, noting its wastefulness, import dependency, environmental unsustainability, and prioritization of private profit over resilience, which leaves millions unable to afford adequate diets. They called for the establishment of local food resilience committees, an audit of reliance on large food companies and imports, realignment of food production to nutritional needs, creation of food storage schemes at multiple levels, and decentralization of the food supply.
This warning follows a recent rebuke from the National Audit Office, which criticized ministers for insufficient support to households and businesses in planning for emergencies. Government research indicates Britons are less prepared for catastrophic events than citizens of several other European countries, with the UK being more reliant on food imports.
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle has advised UK households to build up stores of food and water for potential emergencies, such as a stormy winter due to El Niño. However, the experts argue the government is not adequately considering the needs of lower-income households who may struggle to afford stockpiling. Professor Tim Lang emphasized the need for a system shift including increased domestic food production, regionalism, diversity, and storage at multiple levels, with central government providing strategic leadership. Professor Paul Behrens added that growing more vegetables, fruit, and pulses closer to home would benefit food resilience, healthy diets, and the environment.
In response, the Cabinet Office plans to launch a campaign encouraging households to stock up on tinned goods, and the government's Prepare website offers guidance on assembling emergency supplies. Eagle has also committed to overseeing farming improvements and reservoir construction to enhance Britain's resilience to extreme weather.