Brexit and the impact on our Food - Prices and Food security

[Showmethewaytogohome]

Just listened to a fascinating The Food Programme on Radio 4 which confirmed my concerns around the impact Brexit has on our Food supply chain.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07hwv25

It ain't looking rosy people. Ignoring the devalued pound leading to increased food and grain imports, knocking onto increased food prices, WTO tarrifs putting us at a disadvantage and 25% of the farm workforce coming from Europe. We don't have the infrastructure in place to plug these gaps within the timescale or the people who could do the negotiations. Brexiters answers on a postcard please

We have not had highly expensive food or food shortages in my lifetime....yet.... If we do shall we 'let them eat cake'?

[UterusUterusGhali]

It was horrifying, wasn't it? :(

[Showmethewaytogohome]

Yes

Before the referendum I was asking people - who will pick our food? What about the cost of the food in your basket - I think as a country we are so complacent about our food and food security....

But this programme illustrating things I hadn't thought of at all. The fact there is no one skilled enough to negotiate. There is no food plan AT ALL

It is insanity. Food shortages or insecurity leads to panic buying and unrest....what have we (as a nation) done?

[InShockReally]

Not giving into #ProjectFear there are you OP? I think you'll find we all knew there'd be a few unpleasant years but in the long run we'll be much happier.

I've been reliably told this on several threads so don't worry, there's no problem. There just isn't. So shush.

(No really, that's the plan.)

[Showmethewaytogohome]

Inshock

Those bloody experts with their facts......I might have to join the preppers board! It really is quite concerning. Maybe we can make the politicians pick the potatoes? Farage and Boris need jobs

[Showmethewaytogohome]

Actually...I will join the preppers board. They have plans people. Let's face it we really can't rely on the people who were actually meant to be making them for us

Step 1. Stock up on Wine
Step 2. Stock up on grains (and beer)

[redhat]

I'm on the preppers boards and our main plan for everything is to stock up on wine.

[redhat]

and beans

[Bookaboo]

Thanks OP. This was also one of my concerns, so I will listen to this later.

I gather many farmers were in favour of Brexit though. Doesn't the current EU arrangement encourage farmers to leave swathes of land bare? Not able to find a link at the mo.

I agree that we are very complacent about where our food comes from and it does concern me that the land cannot sustain its population.

[Showmethewaytogohome]

Great - I will fit right in

Gotta laugh as crying will make the horror more real

[redhat]

In all seriousness DH (who generally takes the piss out of my "middle class prepping") said the other day that at least we have a lot of food stored and so we have a buffer there if his work is adversely affected for any length of time (he's already lost two months of work). If prices are due to escalate too then we might be glad of the beans!

[megletthesecond]

I missed it. As the anxious type maybe that's not a bad thing. Me and another poster were scoffed at for worrying about prepping on a pre-referendum thread. My allotment will currently keep us in spuds and spring onions for about a week .

[redhat]

At least you have an allotment Meg, that's a good start if prices are going to escalate.

[Figmentofmyimagination]

Turning your garden over to vegetables perhaps?

[Brokenbiscuit]

The irony is, if good prices do go up, many of the poorest in our society who thought they'd be better off voting for Brexit will probably be the hardest hit. It's not like we can stop eating, is it?

[Figmentofmyimagination]

The Norway option excludes agriculture as I understand it (and fishing!) Sounds like a plan to me.

[fakenamefornow]

I know what Brexiters will say -

Project fear!
Rubbish!
We can just pick fruit off the trees and eat that!

[Showmethewaytogohome]

I also don't have an allotment.....maybe a secret roof garden might work

But seriously we need to ask all our politicians what they will do to secure our food supply chain. 2 years is not enough time to put in place new structures and processes on this scale.

Those who think we should just serve A50 now or even in the next year are in cloud cuckoo

[ZenNudist]

Well another point to worry about.

Thing is "project fear" as a response was scarily effective against facts.

I am comforted that no politician of any sense is going to trip A50 without ensuring we don't end up in the shit.

[Showmethewaytogohome]

Zen Politician....sense.....hhmmmm

[HelenaDove]

You can bet its the fresh and healthy food which will cost more so this will have a knock on effect on obesity rates.

Nah they wouldnt be that hypocritical would they?!

[Showmethewaytogohome]

redhat I'm thinking staples that are imported will be most affected.....rice, pasta and ofcourse le beans.....

Interesting pie chart on here....which shows about a third of our imported food is from the EU and how even locally produced food stuffs are affected

www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/food/food-global.html

[Showmethewaytogohome]

Helena I'm sure it will be spun that its is good for you! It's your duty to get your country back to lose weight/feed your kids first.

It's the Blitz spirit!

[caitlinohara]

I listened to a bit of that. The guy I heard was saying that it would not benefit EU exporters to have tariffs raised too high because it would damage their businesses. Did I miss something?

[babybythesea]

With regards to leaving swathes of land bare, a lot of that is to do with the environmental issues. It's not bare, it's left for wild flowers etc.
That's important.
Our farming has become more intensive, and the systems we use mean that often there is no food available for major pollinators at key points in the year. We rely on wild pollinators to pollinate crops. If we turn everything over to crops, the survival of the pollinators will be an issue as the whole crop will flower at once, there will be a glut of food, and then nothing. Pollinators will then die and we will struggle the next year to get our crops pollinated. Wild flowers and uncultivated edges provide a critical buffer against this, as they provide a steady food supply. But yes, according to the farmer, it may be profitable land lying unused. There's just a bigger picture. Same with the use of neonicotinoids. They are a pesticide banned in the EU which some of our farmers have appealed against, but it's banned because it poisons pollinators and we kind of need them.

[Showmethewaytogohome]

cait you mean the guy from the Adam Smith institute (as far right as you can get for a think tank) who is also Farage's script writer (I actually thought it was the fool himself) who was also calling from his home in Portugal - the walking irony

To me his view is soooo tainted and actually mad...'do you think john or jacque or johan ...or whoever won't still want to sell to sainsbury's........we can just have a zero tarrif on Continental food' I think he meant choirzo etc for the middle classes)

LMAO not if the EU says not. Nutter