to think "everyone will have the food they need" is a way of saying that food choice will be limited

[chomalungma]

It's what Gove said this morning when asked about food after Brexit.

"Everyone will have the food they need"

I am sure that's true....and who needs a wide choice of food anyway.

The UK actually also produces a lot of pure refined sugar, from sugar beets...

(30 years later)

"FFS, rationing did not result in more health!"

On a population level, nationwide, it did.

That does not however mean that every single individual or community was healthier.

Fresh produce, and other items deemed more necessary, should attract priority. Given that everything is on a 'just in time' system, the bare shelves that remain will be those where the non-essential items were.

You are absolutely kidding yourself if you think this is what would happen.

You mean it won't do you any great harm

@NewAccount270219 Can I ask why you have singled me out as exempt from harm? What special qualities do you believe I possess?

What like in the short term or forever more after brexit? They do have food outside of Europe you know.

@NoBaggyPants, of course. Omg it's going to be worse than I thought .

We may be surprised AuntyS I caught a news cast about medicine, how we are going to run low and how they are stockpiling etc.
The back drop to the interview was a huge stock of viagra
Keep our minds of our bellies though.

Uk produces potatoes, cabbage onions carrots, apples and pears, other stuff too obviously. In a mild winter salad leaves will grow outside in uk. If is colder they can be grown on window calls. I do think that fresh fruit and veg will be the issue. I’ve been trying to grow veg this year. It’s not that easy. Thinking about getting some chickens...

People were thinner, but healthier? Rickets, Vit C deficiency and high levels of smoking.

Also with no money to have fun with, I will have the time to do it, adopt it as a new hobby.

I think that’s a healthy way to look at it. I realise that I’m very lucky, because I have the money to have enough food to last for a good number of weeks, but it’s actually bloody hard work, on top of how busy I usually am day to day. I’m now at the stage where I try to treat it like a weird hobby.

Camomila true, an apple a day ...

Rape is used for animal feed and to make oil.

The UK's main agricultural output isn't particularly healthy, and is dairy and meat dominated.

It's going to be "let them eat beef" (with a glass of milk, and die of scurvy ...

: slight but I hope brief deviation - can the govt send a military cargo plane to pick up (at least prescription) medicines, and fly them in over any disruption? I know military planes carry meds in proper conditions (they do for overseas deployments).

In the event of No Deal no they can't. We won't have any trade agreements in place to be able to get the medicine in the first place

You are absolutely kidding yourself if you think this is what would happen

OK - what will happen then?
Will it be left as random as processing shipments in the order they joined the queue?

Hahahaha.
And turnips are running the country.well they act like vegetables anyway.
Almost like cannibalism.

BogglesGoggles most of the food imported from outside Europe comes in through Rotterdam...

I think people forget just how ubiquitous smoking was, too. Happened to catch 'Blitz: Britain on Fire' yesterday. Footage of injured being fetched out of bombed out buildings, nearly every single man passing the gurneys down the line with fags in their mouths. It suppresses the appetite. A helluva lot of people smoked during the rationing time. Forces men received cigarettes in their rations.

We won't have any trade agreements in place to be able to get the medicine in the first place

So medicines are exempt from WTO rules and cannot be traded on that basis?

The back drop to the interview was a huge stock of viagra
Keep our minds of our bellies though.

I think they’d be better sticking up on condoms, because people won’t be able to afford to have children. waiting for someone to say what a positive thing that is

The crop rape (or oilseed rape) is generally used for cooking oil, and the residue left after the oil is extracted goes into animal feed.

Can the nHS afford the WTO tariffs though?

"I think people forget just how ubiquitous smoking was"

The supply of frequently smuggled (excise duty) goods may well hold up, though smokers might have to buy from rather more questionable places.

Gah, cross post.

I think you may struggle if you can't cook or have no imagination.

Or if you have no money for fuel or the power is out . . .

It was certainly an interesting choice of words by Gove when asked if there will be food shortages.

No doubt Cummings has been practising that response with ministers.