According to a BBC report, the government is planning for potential food shortages (including of meat due to a lack of CO2 for stunning in abattoirs) by the summer if the Iran war continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to shipping.
A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs told the broadcaster it would continue to work closely with businesses to tackle the impact of the war. “Reasonable worst-case scenarios are a planning tool used by experts and are not a prediction of future events,” they added.
Following other reports on the subject, Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle commented, “If any of these things change [food or CO2 shortages], I will be upfront with the public about it in advance so we can prepare. But right now, people should go on as they are enjoying beer, enjoying meats and enjoying their salads.”
Tesco Chief Executive Ken Murphy said none of the supermarket chain’s growers, suppliers or manufacturers had reported risks so far. “We are not flagging any issues in our supply chain at this point,” Murphy was quoted by The Times. “We’re not seeing any availability issues. We are in very good shape.” The British Retail Consortium has also said retailers are used to managing disruption but warned that the Middle East crisis is adding to inflationary pressure.
Commenting on LinkedIn, farmer Joe Stanley added, “The second order question is are we facing potential shortages of whole food groups, or merely restricted choice/higher prices? Yet the experience of early 2020 informs us that in reality there may be little difference when human behaviour is factored in. Even in a limited shortage scenario, panic buying, hoarding and waste will inevitably occur, exacerbating any supply-side shortfall.
“This should be a major planning priority for government, not a lastminute limited thought exercise. We can only hope Whitehall is finally becoming curious about the resilience of our food supply.”
Earlier last week, the International Monetary Fund warned that the war could tip the global economy into recession, with the UK expected to be hit hardest among advanced economies.
