Will Brexit Leave The UK Hungry?
|For one of the first times since ration books drifted out of society after the war, could the UK be facing issues over the lack of food? We digress. A study into the EU’s Archaic Attitude Toward Agriculture quotes “Another issue yet to be sorted out is the future of the UK farmers after Brexit takes effect in March 2009. With the country only 62% self-sufficient when it comes to feeding its citizens, agricultural policy is an important yet often overlooked issue.”. With this being constantly put on the backburner of the UK’s priority list, is this becoming a much bigger problem than it needs to be? By the time brexit rolls around, it’s quite possible and highly likely that this issue of food and agriculture will leave the UK facing a much larger, drastic and challenging issue than ever if they don’t do something to secure their imports and deals as soon as possible.
The Problem
The RSA advocates the seriousness of this issue in the RSA’s latest food and farming inquiry. It’s reported that the UK could be in danger of serious health implications and risks if the government doesn’t come together quickly to secure a solidified and positive brexit deal sooner rather than later. Out of the large 35 portions of fruit and vegetables freely available in the UK a shocking one portion is all that the UK can claim as their own. One 1/35 portions of fruit and vegetables the UK has access to are actually grown and picked in the UK by British employed workers.
What may be confusing and disillusioning many people in the UK is that farmers were actually in favour of the brexit decision. However, since then, the National Farmers’ Union, who focus on the rural affairs, farm business, poultry and general environment management of the UK, suggest that the crops in the UK will “rot in the fields”. With such harsh and brutally honest words; it’s clear that the UK is not equipped and will be unable to sustain the demands of its current population.
Is There A Solution?
A spokesperson for the RSA Food, Sue Pritchard was quoted saying “What would be available on the shelves would change dramatically. There will be delays at ports and all along the food supply system – the impact will be felt very, very quickly,” Sue Pritchard goes on the describe that any deal the UK plans to make now will have little effect in the short term even though it is absolutely necessary to ensure the health and physical growth of the country itself. A brexit deal now will take a long time to trial, test and implement, therefore it will definitely not have a very drastic or immediate effect. This is a very serious problem the nation needs to focus on and deal with before it gets out of hand.