Andrew Dickens: Food security should be an election priority

As if the world hasn’t already got enough to worry about what with war, and fuel crisis and inflation, there comes another concern.

This weekend The Independent published a piece on UK Farmers warning that food shortages are just 10 days away for the UK and there are signs that suggest they’ve already arrived.

Farmers have sounded the alarm about a growing food crisis, and experts say that Britain’s food insecurity needs to be treated as a growing national emergency.

Global conflict combined with climate change are affecting fragile supply chains.

These days Britain produces about 60 per cent of it’s food compared to 80 per cent in the 80s. the shortfall met by imports principally from the EU which has been affected by Brexit and the fuel crisis.

They’re particularly vulnerable when it comes to fruit and seasonal vegetables. Already there are shortages and they’re getting worse and the prices are climbing.

New Zealand on the other hand is considered to have one of the most secure food supplies in the world. Basically, we make more than we eat.

We currently grow enough food to feed 40 million people.

Even in a major global crisis New Zealand would remain one of the best placed countries to feed its own population.

And while we might not export oil or mobile phones or plastic knick knacks the one thing every single person in the world needs is food. And in that we are resilient and food is a good product to making.

But as we enter an election once again our food manufacturers are going to be urged by the environmentalists to cut production to meet climate change targets when in fact the world will be begging us to make even more food.

The greenies are worried about the globe but the thing the globe needs most of all is food and water.

And I wonder if New Zealand First might be better advised to put a billion into making our farms efficient and clean rather than in a survey on whether we have any mythical oil or gas.

Andrew Dickens is a broadcaster with Newstalk ZB. - where this article was sourced.