“The UK and other developed countries might be able to buy its way out of trouble, will we still be exposed to the instability created. The report says “trade food importing countries have reduced costs and vulnerability to localised production shocks, but at the expense of increased exposure to systemic risks such as a shock in a major production hub or a sudden deterioration in connectivity” . While the UK is not going to become a ‘major production hub’, it does create an argument that UK production will become relatively more important.”
NFU Vice President Guy Smith spoke at an event last year on this same subject and he highlighted how recent weather had affected his farm business.
The Today Programme, Reuters and The Guardian have all featured food production in their news coverage today.
BBC Radio Four (listen again here 1hr 6m) reports that 'food production shocks' such as flooding and drought could happen more often, according to a new report.
:: The report, 'Extreme weather and resilience of the global system', has been written by a taskforce of academics, industry and policy experts who were commissioned to examine the resilience of the global food system.
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