New Report About Food Security

[SnowRose1]

Hi everyone,

I mainly lurk but sometimes post here 😁

Just stumbled across a new report that might be of interest to fellow preppers. It’s released by the National Preparedness Commission and the report is titled ‘Just In Case: 7 Steps To Narrow The Food Resilience Gap’ with Tim Lang as the lead author.

The full report is very long but there is a summary report. It provides info on the different types of threats to food security, from contamination to power outage and more. Plus how each of these would affect the public and what can be done at an individual level, community level. Comparisons with other countries.

Would love to hear what other preppers think of it 😀

Are you able to link to this report please, OP?

https://nationalpreparednesscommission.uk/publications/just-in-case-7-steps-to-narrow-the-uk-civil-food-resilience-gap/ here is the report.
Never heard of this organisation.

That was interesting. I see it as a positive thing that the Government is commissioning reports such as this, and considering strategies to reduce risk.

Yes, it’s a step in the right direction I think. And it’s good to see how the issue can be addressed at a community level, rather than the ‘each for themselves’ approach. Personally I would like to see more ‘Right to Grow’ type support from national and local government, including making it easier to get an allotment, and removing the requirement to register chickens if the person only has a couple of dozen birds! 🤣

Not food security in the big picture sense, but I think it is important to do as much as possible for food security at a personal level. I do try to have some stocks of dry stores that can last, and rotate through those, to have a buffer. I’m currently getting rid of (mostly by eating) things the family had previously bought and not liked, but then I want to restock properly with a general buffer of about 2-3 month’s worth of basics (pasta, rice, tins that I use, etc) and some emergency items that I rarely but will use (Knorr pastarias, smash type dried mash potato mix, dried milk powder etc).

i would love to grow more than I do - but I only have a balcony now. But I still had salads and spinach, spring onions, radishes, tomatoes, courgettes, chilli’s and peppers, peas, and beans (broad, french, boots) last year. And herbs.

I had rhubarb in the garden at home. And in a previous Garden and on the allotment I had for a good few years, I had cherries and various currants, raspberries, strawberries etc. I would also love to grow more trees, especially nuts (hazel and walnuts) and fruit (apples, pears, plums). They take a while to get going but are worth it once they get settled in properly.

my MIL kept chickens for years, and the eggs were great to have. And my DB used to go fishing at home growing up, and I could comb the shores for shellfish. And I have made lots of jam, chutney and frozen plenty in my time to preserve for later, and I find oven-drying tomatoes and storing in oil works well. But they are skills people don’t seem to use much anymore.

as I am normally quite urban (and currently completely!), it’s a dream to get back to it someday, but I am looking for somewhere with good potential that we could slide into retirement and start putting some of the key bits in now like trees, fruit bushes and a glasshouse/plastic tunnel to extend growing seasons. And making raised beds for easier gardening in older age. It just needs a decently large garden (1/3 of an acre would be loads).

Thanks, I'll have a read later.

I think every planning application for development should have land set aside for allotments. Another area for fruit trees as well as wildlife areas and ponds.

So many inspiring ideas, BiddyPop. People doing what they can at an individual level is actually part of ‘food security’, in addition to community projects etc.

I love your idea, BurntBroccoli, for each development of new homes to have a certain number of allotments. There are lots of things that could be done to make it easier for those of us who’d like to produce at least some of our own food 😀

We have a crab apple tree on the shared green in front of our house, and a blackberry patch that many neighbours pick from. There is a fab pear tree in a hedge at the edge of a road near us (not in a garden). All in the city - not the hedges in the countryside where you can find sloes, blackberries, damsons (wild plums) and all sorts.

But even people who are not big gardeners can plant things now that don’t need a lot of minding but will be useful in years to come. Fruit bushes, raspberry canes etc take a couple of years before producing, apple/pear/plum trees need a good few years, rhubarb and asparagus just quietly produce every spring etc.

so a few pots of herbs on the windowledge are great or veg in the garden - but they need watering and minding. Whereas quietly planting some longer term options now can pay off in the future with not a lot of effort now.

Thanks for sharing this – just skimmed the summary and it’s actually pretty eye-opening. Makes me feel better about slowly building up food storage and backup cooking gear (grabbed a few bits fromo outdoor store recently). It’s a good reminder that resilience isn’t just about big disasters, but also the quiet breakdowns that catch most people off guard.

Really glad to see a report like this – most people still don’t realise how dependent we are on smooth-running supply chains. A power or fuel outage and shelves can go empty within hours. Great that the report also touches on contamination – a real risk that’s often overlooked. For me, it's another reminder to have not just supplies, but also a plan: backup cooking methods, water filtration, blackout gear, and some basic tools.

Totally agree – that part about contamination really stuck with me too. It made me rethink not just what I store, but how I store it. Picked up a few basic tools and a foldable stove from an outdoor store recently – the kind of kit that doesn’t take much space but would be gold if things went sideways. Feels like now’s the time to quietly stock up before the next wave of “panic buying” hits. Do you have any go-to gear for power or water issues?