The U.K. Is unprepared to feed its own people

[OfficiallyUnofficial]

AIBU to highlight this statement?*


Something the industry have known for while but the public just don't seem to get. We are at below 60% food security in the UK.

The U.K. Is unprepared to feed its own people

What a bloody scary statement, this isn't a BREXIT thread it's a "think local" thread. We have become so reliant on cheap imports, on retailers choosing what's best for us, never shouting British on products, so forgetful that our grumpy farmers are the only ones standing between us and starvation that this has quietly happened.

We are an island, the world is uncertain, God forbid there were war and blockades now. EU or non EU when will we start paying for food security?


*Sarah Boumphrey, global lead for economies & consumers at Euromonitor?

[VioletBam]

Best get digging then. And learning to forage.

[LilySnape]

Lets all grab a shovel and dig over the lawn your yet another sour sore remain voter OP ? You'd think after the scare tactics that lost remain the winningbvote they'd have learned but it seems not.

[lavenderbongo]

This has nothing to do with Brexit it's a fact. We simply do not grow enough in this country to feed the population. It's all imported

[lavenderbongo]

Or what we do grow is sold abroad

[LilySnape]

And it will continue to be imported until the farmers in this country are paid a fair price for their produce. They cant afford to provide for the country when they are paid pennies for pints of milk and only get paid for vegetables that are deemed perfect its a cold hard fact that this country treats farmers like shit and expect milk for £1 a bottle and carrots and broccoli etc for less than 50p the only way you get those prices is mass importation

[LilySnape]

And its basic science that not everything can be grown in the UK due to the extreme fluctuating weather we have otherwise we'd be growing our own exotic fruit and nuts and rice and producing our own coffee

[LilySnape]

And in the event of a war we would revert back rationing and requesitioning land for crop produce,i expect there would be national uproar about the lack of gourmet coffee and avacado toast but everyone would sure loose a few pounds. Its a well known fact we have become a greedy self entitled nation with little clue as to where our food comes from yet we want it piled high on our plates with no questions asked

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

I would imagine that that 60% will drop soon as well as more farmers are likely to go out of business if they can't get the cheap labour from the immigrant workers, and if the farming subsidies that the EU paid them are lost.

[user1465823522]

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last ten years this shouldn't' be a surprise.

The UK does not grow or produce enough food to be sustainable - gone are the days that we did - such a high percentage of our food is imported that we simply cannot support ourselves without it.

We DO produce a lot of meat - especially beef, but we can't compete with larger foreign farms and milk prices have been pittance for years - i honestly don't think most people realise just how much farmers are supported by grants and EU funding.

[LilySnape]

Oh no Thumbwitch you mean they have to hire actual british citizens and pay them a living wage shock horror it works both ways with farmers they get as good as they give and they dont give alot in terms of job opportunities in local communities

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Actual British citizens don't want the work at the rates the farmers can afford to pay, or the hours that they're required to work.

[LilySnape]

user i agree ive known and observed this for years but everyone else i know turns a blind eye till now they only care when it affects them personally

[LilySnape]

How do farmers know that without ever offering the work to local people ? Which i know they never do because there are never farm work adverts are there ? Its all done on the sly cash in hand tax free to the lowest paid worker

[user1465823522]

@lilysnape - you reaise that you have to pay immigrants the same wage you have to pay British citizens, right?

[scarednoob]

I do agree that it's worrying and I wouldn't have a clue how to grow a green bean myself.

But could the whole of the uk be blockaded? It's a fairly big coastline even though we aren't that big!

[LilySnape]

They dont user they pay immigrants the lowest wage possible in cash sometimes as little as £10 for 15hr shifts picking crops and weeding the fields by hand everyone knows this yet no one stops it

[user1465823522]

@lilysnape

The folks I know who work in agriculture hire seasonal staff from agencies - it's all through the books because you get audited to the eyeballs if you apply for grants - which most farmers do. In addition, the jobs usually include accommodation and sometimes food which actually means they earn MORE per hour over all.

I think you need to do some research before you come online showing your ignorance.

[LilySnape]

And the majority are illegal immigrants too so they arent safeguarded by our laws they work under the radar

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

FYI Lily www.google.co.uk/search?q=farm%20labour%20uk&rct=j

[exLtEveDallas]

Maybe not in your area Lily, but that is certainly not the case in mine. We have adverts/road signs up pretty much all year round which state the dates the farmers are hiring.

[LilySnape]

I used to work on a farm as a teenager i know what im talking about thanks! Maybe in your area they are audited which is good but in my area its a totally different story.

[YourPerception]

Of course the cost of living will go up.

I buy lacto free milk. It's about £1.30 per litre rather than £1 for 4 litres. I guess that's the sort of price change we are looking at.

[LilySnape]

yourperception if by some miracle the UK did stop treating farmers like shit and actually paid them what their worth you can guarantee milk would be about £3 a litre bread would go upto £2 a loaf and veg would be about £5 a bag but people dont want that because its a fair economy which means they actually have to pay for their food.

[YourPerception]

Thanks for a more accurate price.

[Iamnotloobrushphobic]

How long ago were you a teenager working on a farm lily? Was it before NMW? I know I worked at McDonald's as a teenager and got paid £2.70 per hour but things are different now.