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Experts believe a weakened food security system has left Britain vulnerable to riots and unrest.
Britain has never been self-sufficient when it comes to food. It’s a tiny island that – until immigration and colonisation brought the gift of global cuisine – survived mostly on bread and potatoes.
But thanks to modern trading systems, food security isn’t something we tend to worry about in the UK. We have fancy supermarkets and expansive restaurant scenes. Cities like London are considered food capitals of the world. M&S has a vice-like grip on international tastes thanks to social media and a particularly creative product development team.
Yet our cushy relationship with the food cupboard could be on the brink of disaster, according to experts. Thanks to chronic issues like the climate crisis, low incomes, poor farming policy and fragile supply-chains, Britain’s food system has become a ‘tinderbox’, one which sits just one crisis away from full-scale collapse.
The country’s top food experts suggest a severe weather incident or cyber attack could spark social unrest or even food riots. Given the vulnerable state of the UK’s food systems, a major incident has the potential to push up food prices, sparking social tension and – in a worst case scenario – widespread civil unrest.
80% of experts say large-scale violence caused by a food crisis was possible in Britain in the next 50 years, with 40% saying it could occur within the next decade. This prediction was based on a scenario in which more than 30,000 people could suffer violent injury owing to food protests or riots.
M&S, one of the biggest food retailers in the UK, was hit by a debilitating cyber attack late last year. This threatened supply chains and internal data, leading to price hikes and product shortages. If the same thing happened to multiple companies, experts warn sudden price hikes could throw the entire nation into disarray.
The study, published in Sustainability, argues that long-standing structural issues are leaving the UK dangerously exposed to threats that – in our digital age – are becoming more prevalent.
Rising prices would disproportionately impact low-income households, restricting access to nutritious foods and heightening food insecurity.
‘While there is a growing awareness of the potential risks,’ says Professor Sarah Bridle, Chair of Food, Climate and Society at the University of York, ‘not enough coordinated work is being done to address the weak spots in the system, and how people are likely to be affected.’
