UK has not done enough to prepare for shocks to food supplies, says watchdog

Britain’s public spending watchdog has warned that the country has not done enough to prepare its food supplies for shocks that are becoming more frequent and severe. The Guardian reports that the National Audit Office is pressing the environment department to work more closely with households, communities and businesses so the flow of food into the country can withstand disruptions caused by the climate crisis, disease and cyber-attacks.

The watchdog found that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had taken some steps but had not done enough in recent years to get citizens and industry to plan for emergencies. Britain relies on imports for more than a third of its food, most of it arriving through four ports — Dover, Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway — which leaves the system especially exposed to disruption.

The report notes that the supply chain held up during the Covid-19 pandemic and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but that Defra is less confident businesses could cope with future shocks without greater government help. Food companies told the NAO they have had little input into official plans, and the last national emergency exercise, in 2023, did not include most supply chain businesses. Industry groups have separately urged ministers to treat cold stores and food transport hubs as critical national infrastructure.