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Page added on January 7, 2014

UK families ‘face food shortages as the world’s population soars’

More families in Britain risk being plunged into “food poverty” shortages and price rises as the global population soars, experts warned today.

The Food Standards Agency stressed demand for food supplies would rise as the world’s population spirals from seven billion now to nine billion by 2050.

“This increase could weaken resilience in the food supply chain with the potential to entrench a global food security crisis,” the FSA told a Commons inquiry.

“As the UK is not self-sufficient in terms of food production, global food supply issues have the potential to impact on UK consumers, for instance increasing the incidence of food poverty within the UK.”

More food fraud scams like the horsemeat scandal could erupt amid growing competition for limited global supplies, the agency told the inquiry into food security by the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

The warnings came as Environment Secretary Owen Paterson urged people to buy more British food and import a quarter less.

The UK currently ships in more than 40 per cent of its food including mountains of New Zealand lamb, Danish bacon, French apples and Spanish cucumbers.

“We have a top-class fruit and veg sector which produces everything from green beans to strawberries, yet we imported £8 billion of fruit and veg in 2012,” the minister was due to tell a farming conference.

“We can’t grow mangoes or pineapples, but we can encourage UK consumers and food businesses to buy Scottish raspberries or Kent apples.

“This is a huge opportunity, and it’s up to all of us — farmers, food manufacturers and the Government — to take action.

“By buying seasonal fruit and veg we can improve the nation’s health, help the environment and boost the economy.”

The CLA organisation, which represents 33,000 farmers and landowners in the UK, stressed that nearly 70 per cent of our food imports currently comes from other EU countries.

They warned that if severe food shortages developed European countries could take “protectionist” action, so contingency plans might be needed for dealing with a breakdown of the EU single market.

London Evening Standard

18 Comments on "UK families ‘face food shortages as the world’s population soars’"

dsula on Tue, 7th Jan 2014 8:52 pm

Get out, poor UK. I would try to import some more pakis and assorted 3rd worlders. I’m sure that will make the carnage to come so much more interesting.

action on Tue, 7th Jan 2014 10:02 pm

But, but we have to have mangos in december!

jodell8964 on Tue, 7th Jan 2014 10:22 pm

The food shortage issue could be significantly reduced if the developed nations would stop wasting food. Approximately one third of all the food produced is wasted in developed countries.

Harquebus on Tue, 7th Jan 2014 11:45 pm

Globalisation is about to end (peak oil) and nature will take care of the over-population problem. Nothing to worry about here.

robertinget on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 12:08 am

When Republicans cut an additional four billion (in ten years) out of ‘SNAP’ or Food Stamps then turned around and cut unemployment insurance for long time unemployed, it’s cold comfort, GOP cut their own throats too.

ghung on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 12:19 am

“…food fraud scams like the horsemeat scandal…”

I’ve been in places where folks stood in line for a bit of horse meat. There really isn’t much room between being picky about what we eat and not starving.

Let’em eat cake…

Makati1 on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 1:49 am

I really feel sorry for them … NOT!!!

You can eat for $1 per day, even in the UK, if you really need to. But it does not include strawberries in January.

“… The proportion of adults with a healthy body mass index (BMI) – defined as being between 18.5 and 25 – fell to just 34% in men and 39% in women during 2011. …”

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/02February/Pages/Latest-obesity-stats-for-England-are-alarming-reading.aspx

“…
In 2011, 53% of obese men and 44% of obese women were found to have high blood pressure.
During 2011-12 there were 11,736 hospital admissions due to obesity – this over 11 times higher than during 2001-02….”

Sounds like there is not a problem if the food were more evenly distributed in the population of the UK.

Jimmy on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 2:08 am

An ecological bottleneck in the making.

Feemer on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 2:50 am

as much as I love Europe, if they don’t steeply increase their sustainability efforts and limit their population they are going to have problems.

GregT on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 4:57 am

Europe already has major problems, and they are going to get a whole lot worse as time goes on. It is already too late to stop the inevitable.

Too many people + not enough arable land or resources + dwindling fossil fuel supplies = recipe for disaster.

Simon on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 12:58 pm

You need to look back to see what happens in europe when our population gets to big, its not pretty.

Plague, or Conquest, and we appear to be quite good at both

rollin on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 1:45 pm

A bit too much mucking about and keeping the doors open to foreigners. Looks like another Japan in the making with only half the economy.

Time to tighten the belts and pray the Gulf Stream keeps chugging along. Turn those lawns and flower gardens into food production.

J-Gav on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 3:56 pm

Agreed, Ghung, the time isn’t far off when a Whinny-burger will look pretty damn good! You don’t find horsemeat in supermarkets here in France but most outdoor markets have at least one horse butcher. I’ve tried it – a bit stronger taste than beef but quite edible …

Kenz300 on Wed, 8th Jan 2014 5:16 pm