In his speech in Manchester last month setting out his vision for government, Andy Burnham placed food alongside energy and defence as one of the UK’s critical sectors at the core of national security.
But British harvests devastated by wetter autumn and winters and hotter, drier springs and summers, as well as the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz still affecting global supply chains, are making the issue of food security even more urgent.
And there are some in Westminster and industry who want the UK to follow countries around the world to start stockpiling food on a national level in case the current pressures turn into a catastrophe.
In March, Sir Keir Starmer’s government said it had “no plans” to stockpile food because the UK’s supply chains are robust. But with a new, more proactive regime in No 10, could the new Prime Minister order a rethink?
England is on the brink of drought
On Tuesday, the Environment Agency declared that eight regions out of 14 in England are experiencing prolonged dry weather, one stage before official drought status.
Large parts of central and southern England have had no rainfall throughout July, and there have already been three heatwaves this summer.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit says three of the worst five harvests in the UK have occurred in the past decade, due to very dry spring and summer months followed by wetter-than-average winters.
Empty supermarket shelves
This week Sainsbury’s warned customers that stocks of cucumbers were running low due to the intense heat hitting growers in Europe and North Africa, while there are fears of shortages for other salad crops predominantly imported by the UK.
But it is not just fresh produce at risk: Coceral, which represents European cereals and oilseed companies, warned this week that the recent heatwave has destroyed 9 million tonnes of crops including wheat, barley, maize and oats.
This is likely to push up the price of staple foods and fuel calls for Britain to be more self-sufficient.
Could the UK start stockpiling food?
The government says it has “no plans” yet for nationwide, industry-level stockpiles of food.
In a written answer to the Green peer Baroness Bennett in March, environment minister Baroness Hayman said in response to the war in Iran the government was conducting “extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and in response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains”.
She added: “Defra works closely with the Cabinet Office and other departments to ensure food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.
“The UK does not have national food stockpiles or plans to create these. The UK has a food supply chain that is well equipped to deal with any potential disruption. The UK’s food security is built on supply from diverse sources including strong domestic production and imports through stable trade routes.”
But in a Lords debate on resilience earlier this month, Bennett warned that ministers were keeping the public “in ignorance” about the seriousness of food security, adding: “Being honest and open with the public about the fact that we have a huge food security issue and need to think about changing our entire food system to tackle this, and in the meantime providing points of security along the way, is crucial.”
Government admits food is a ‘national security’ issue
A report by Defra, published in January, warned that “global ecosystem degradation and collapse threaten UK national security and prosperity”.
It added: “The world is already experiencing impacts including crop failures, intensified natural disasters and infectious disease outbreaks.
“Threats will increase with degradation and intensify with collapse. Without major intervention to reverse the current trend, this is highly likely to continue to 2050 and beyond.”
A Government spokesperson said: “We will always protect the food security of this country and are backing British farmers to create a sustainable future for farming.
“We’re also investing billions in the development of new technology to increase yields and developing climate resilient crops to help farmers produce more food.”
Industry wants more support to be resilient
The Food and Drink Federation says stockpiling is “one route” to making the UK’s supply chains more resilient, but would come at a cost.
Balwinder Dhoot, director of growth and sustainability at the FDF, said: “Disruption is becoming the new norm for the food system, whether it is geopolitics or climate-related risks.
“Manufacturers will have different strategies for dealing with this uncertainty to make sure they have future supply available.
“Storing additional stock is one route but does come at a cost, adding to the pressure that food and drink manufacturers face. As the cost of producing food in the UK continues to go up we risk offshoring production overseas.”
The Food and Drink Federation says stockpiling is ‘one route’ to making the UK’s supply chains more resilient, but would come at a cost (Photo: Getty)
The National Farmers’ Union does not back stockpiling but has called for increased resilience for domestic production.
NFU vice president Robyn Munt said: “Global supply chain shocks – from extreme weather to intense geopolitical conflict – have exposed the stark vulnerability of our food system.
“British farmers and growers are the bedrock of our nation, but we cannot expect them to continuously shield consumers from these shocks without a long-term plan.
“To drive success, our farmers and growers need to know they’ll have the workforce they rely on, regulation which supports efficiency and growth, and a planning system that drives investment in much-needed farm infrastructure such as poultry sheds and on-farm water storage.”
So, what do other countries do?
Finland
Due to its 832-mile land border with Russia, Finland has robust plans not only for defence but food security and resilience.
Finland has a strategic grain reserve of wheat, oats, barley and rye stored in high-security facilities across the country.
The stockpile can sustain Finland’s population of 5.6 million for nine months in the event of a major disruption to either global supply chains or domestic production.
On a household-level, citizens are advised to keep enough food and water for 72 hours in case of emergency, as well as home emergency supplies including first aid kits, iodine tablets, a battery-powered radio, torch, power bank, portable stove, toilet paper and duct tape.
Sweden
In March this year, after the start of the Iran war, the Swedish government began stockpiling food supplies on a national level for the first time since the Cold War.
Civil defence minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin announced that Stockholm would be spending 1.4bn kr (around £108m) on building emergency reserves of grain, seeds, fertilisers and processed food as well as fuel and power generators.
Sweden’s 10.7 million people are already told to stock up on water and are given advice on how to access the news if there is a power cut.
Switzerland
The landlocked Central European country has been stockpiling food and other emergency supplies for decades, both on a national and household level.
Private food producers are required to store up to four months’ worth of wheat, rice, cooking oil and sugar, as well as two to three months’ worth of animal feed.
The country is reportedly looking to extend its stockpiles to 12 months in light of the worsening global supply chain and climate situation.
India
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India started stockpiling rice and wheat, imposing export curbs on two of its biggest commodities.
Those restrictions were lifted earlier this year but after the US and Israel began air strikes on Iran, leading to a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, the country has continued to stockpile the two grains.
The stockpiles are also driven by fears of ongoing climate change-related heatwaves which have damaged harvests.
