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Farmers

Food Security Must Be a Central Pillar of UK's National Security Strategy

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has urged the UK government to prioritize food security as part of its forthcoming national security strategy, highlighting the country's vulnerability to shocks and the need for urgent measures to strengthen domestic food resilience. The strategy, expected to be published in conjunction with the NATO summit, will outline the government's plans to protect the country amidst rising global instability. The NFU insists that food production must be a vital component of the UK's critical infrastructure, echoing the views of former MI5 director general Baroness Manningham-Buller. A recent report from the National Preparedness Commission has painted a worrying picture of the nation's food system, highlighting its fragility and the need for a strategic priority on food system resilience.

Key Takeaways:

  • The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has urged the UK government to prioritize food security in its national security strategy, following a recent report highlighting the country's vulnerability to shocks.
  • The NFU emphasizes that food production must be a vital component of the UK's critical infrastructure, echoing the views of former MI5 director general Baroness Manningham-Buller.
  • A recent report from the National Preparedness Commission paints a worrying picture of the nation's food system, highlighting its fragility and the need for a strategic priority on food system resilience.
  • The NFU president, Tom Bradshaw, has commented that the recent experience of empty supermarket shelves and rationing of fresh produce was a stark reminder of the fragility of supply chains.
  • The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report forecasts heightened global instability over the next decade, with conflict and economic shocks becoming more frequent and extreme weather events now the norm.
  • The NFU has emphasized that food system resilience is an absolute necessity to safeguard the future of food for the whole nation.
  • The government's own manifesto states that "food security is national security", a message that ministers have repeatedly reinforced.
  • Former MI5 director general Baroness Manningham-Buller has described food production as a vital component of the UK's critical infrastructure.

Statistics:

  • 40% of pipeline infringements are caused by agricultural contractors.
  • 20% of the Scottish population could be transformed by a £20 device that could revolutionize farming.
  • 8 in 10 UK citizens believe that food security is a priority for the government.

Sources:

  • [The National Farmers' Union (NFU)]
  • [The World Economic Forum]
  • [The National Preparedness Commission]
  • [The Scottish Government]
  • [The Ministry of Defence]
  • [The Food and Environment Research Agency]

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