Post Brexit food

So how do you do the maths? The UK currently imports 40% of its food. We can't just suddenly start producing more overnight. Not only that, but it wouldn't be very efficient and we don't have the people to work the farms.

Our climate means that we have to import from warmer countries in winter. Are you really serious that we should import more from places such as Africa rather than Europe? What kind of effect would that have on the environment? Not only that, but we'd still need the customs staff to process the imports.

Why is it Irish and Dutch farmers' fault? They didn't make the decision to leave the EU.

French and Spanish farmers have 27 other countries to find new deals, so I expect they'll be just fine.

But the other 27 countries won't suddenly have a massive demand for more produce, growstuff. Their appetite for French and Spanish farmer's produce isn't suddenly going to increase!

UK imports from the EU were £341 billion (53% of all UK imports).

That's an awful lot of business to lose. But they won't lose it. Because they're not stupid. And neither are we.

We are all squawking away and we don't know for sure that we're going to leave with a No Deal yet!

We'll have plenty of food, but its sources/origins will be questionable. Unregulated ?

I think we should support the commonwealth countries actually and buy more from them.

Why should we support Commonwealth countries? They have their own markets. It just doesn't make sense to ship food half way round the world.

Do you have a crystal ball, Minniemoo? You don't know what EU farmers will do.

. I think the five a day thing is most likely bollocks. Half an orange a day was found to be plenty for schoolchildren during the war.
A lot of people think we need out of season fruits flown in. We don't, and the planet would be better without it.

Wow, all those home grown oranges during the war, when half of one was plenty for a day! But of course they had to be home grown because hardly any imports got through. Or maybe kids didn't get them? Hope our orange farmers are still in operation

Yes, I would, Minniemoo and have done so.

I could actually say a lot more, if I were to be total frank about my opinions.

quizqueen I made a similar comment about possible food shortages and the horrific levels of obesity here.

Needless to say it didn’t go down well.

I would have thought it was an aspect worth discussing but I think it struck a nerve with some!

JenniferEccles can you absolutely guarantee that if food shortages occur, only the obese will suffer, not mostly the poor even if they're already slim?

growstuff, people ship food all round the world all the time. Live food sometimes, which is one of my anti EU stances.

And I honestly don't need a crystal ball. You know perfectly well that just because we stop buying from the EU the other countries won't suddenly decide they need more. Oh and we won't stop buying from the EU either.

The Remainers argument seems to be delving into realms of fantasy.

Not to mention who will have spare for the food banks?

Yes Callistemon there is too much food wasted, but I don't think that food shortages in the shops, even if only temporary, is the way to cure that.
I was thinking about it the other way round GillT57, not that food shortages in the shops would cure wastage, rather that if we didn't waste so much the shortages would not prove such a problem.

When there were dire food shortages many years ago, people didn't take their food so much for granted. We have got used to the shelves stocked with plenty of whatever we could wish for.

I reckon WW11 rations would do wonders for the obesity problems! Since the seventies we have had freezers use them as we did to cook with vegetables in season and store for later.

Can we not just all calm down?

I am so fed up of all the panic-mongering.

NO ONE is going to starve, except perhaps the very poor, who are already starving or having to use food banks.
YES we are an island (group of islands) but we are a bloody big island who for centuries has managed to feed and clothe itself.
We will still manage to do so, we may have to go back to eating locally produced seasonal foods but why not?
If I want strawberries in winter I will just have to make do with frozen ones won't I?
Let's just all chill out and perhaps prepare to tighten our belts or cope the best we can.
Can we not just deal with the problems we are faced with right now, such as our homelessness, starving poor and global warming and prepare for the worst come October 31st, if the worst doesn't happen then it's a bonus.

www.fao.org/save-food/resources/keyfindings/en/

Food wastage occurs for all kinds of reasons, not just by the consumer throwing perfectly good food away of course.

I wonder how we managed for food pre 1973?
Mapleleaf - very apt name because I was going to say that we imported a lot of our food from countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada but less so since then in favour of the EU.
They, of course, had the sense to go out and find other markets for their produce.

French and Spanish farmers have 27 other countries to find new deals, so I expect they'll be just fine.
Presumably they have deals with those 27 countries already - all of which could have reached the limit of their requirements.

I hope those farmers/businesses which do export to the UK now are putting pressure on their leaders and EU leaders to look again at the deal on offer for all our sakes.

Intransigence on both sides will do neither side any good.

GracesGranMk2 Gonegirl please tell me when you were appointed head-girl of food?

I'm sorry. I thought this thread was open to whoever wished to express a view. I didn't realise it was a private thread.

I think we should support the commonwealth countries actually and buy more from them.
Well, Australia, for instance, has found new markets in the Far East.

Gonegirl if you are head girl you can hand out the lines and possibly detention too.

Rationing wouldn't make things fair for everybody. Some people around here already have packed a few extra freezers in their garages and stockpiled non-perishables - just in case!

What if the electricity goes off

Buy local, seasonal produce and, if you can, grow your own! The big supermarkets are already buying more locally sourced fruit and veg.