🍓The Hunger Games: UK Edition
UK’s food shortages are a warning bell for all of us. ReadOn to know why.
Let’s say you go to a shop to buy groceries. Just when you’re at the billing counter, the shopkeeper tells you “Sorry, you can only buy three pieces of vegetables and 1 piece of fruit. We’re facing a shortage.”
Sounds like a third-world nation struggling to feed its population?
Umm, we’re talking about the UK, our former colonisers, and the sixth-largest economy in the world!
Today, we’ll be looking at….
Why is the UK back to rationing food like it is World War 3?
Why should the UK’s condition serve as a red flag for all of us?
ReadOn!
🤔 Why is the UK Facing Food Shortages?
Covid is gone (mostly) and the world has learned to live with the supply chain disorders of the Russia-Ukraine war.
So, why is the UK still facing shortages?? Why are the shelves of the UK's superstores empty?
Because:
High import dependence
Rising costs of electricity
Climate change
Brexit
We’ll explain in detail.
😯 High Import Dependence
The UK’s self-sufficiency for vegetables is 56% and only 16% for fruits.
Reason: the UK’s climate.
On an average, the UK gets 1403 hours of sunlight each year. India gets anywhere from 2600-3200 hours of sunlight!
Now, the UK does grow some fruits and vegetables in the winter as well. But this requires the use of greenhouses, which use electricity to keep the planted area warm.
But thanks to the Russia-Ukraine war last year, the prices of electricity were super high.
Many farmers couldn't afford these high costs. Veggies, especially salad veggies like lettuce and tomatoes (which are currently in short supply) usually have a very low margin.
So, many farmers didn't grow these crops in winter and have only just planted them.
Result? The UK had to rely on imports.
But why have imports stopped?
🌡️ Climate Change
The UK mainly relies on Spain and Morocco for fresh veggies and fruits.
Spain has seen colder-than-normal temperatures this year, which means some crops haven't grown well. Meanwhile, Morocco has faced floods that have destroyed crops. So, the government has restricted exports.
In short, climate change is the culprit.
Because of this, the UK could soon see shortages of more veggies and fruits.
These shortages are expected to last at least until May!
Now, why are other European nations not facing these problems?
Not all of them could be 100% self-sufficient?
Well, the answer to that is…
👋 Brexit
From 2020 onwards, Britain stopped being a part of the European Union, leading to Brexit (Britain's exit from the EU).
Think of the EU like a group of cool kids in school. If you're friends with them, you get all the perks, the best seat in the cafe, and the best ways to bunk classes.
What if you're not a part of the group? Tough luck, you're gonna have trouble!
That's exactly what has happened with Britain.
When it was a part of the EU, trade flowed easily. The Union already had set supply chains and taxes for inter-Union trade.
But now that it is not a part of the EU, trade has a lot more barriers.
According to a survey by the London School of Economics, the exclusion from the EU now means the UK has to conduct more regulatory checks, leading to more delays.
Plus, there are new taxes that also increase costs.
Result:
Supply chain problems
Delays in supplies reaching consumers
What can India learn from this?
📜Takeaways for India
India is a khaati-peeti country with a massive population.
We need more and more food to feed our people.
But thanks to growing climate change, the problem of our food security will keep rising.
We're already concerned about our wheat crops this year because of rising temperatures.
Our tea and coffee crops are also threatened by climate change.
What’s more, India right now imports a lot of food items: pulses, fresh fruits, snacks, oil seeds and nuts.
If these countries also continue to face climate change issues like us, we could also face shortages. So, let’s hope that we become self-reliant for food, or even better, become a net exporter!
What can we do to become self-reliant?
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See you tomorrow, smarty! 🤓
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