What's The Problem

Whichever way we turn these days we are hit with big headlines warning of dire consequences if we don’t all change the way we lead our lives. Some things we believe and some we choose not to believe or consider that we have no influence over them. The life we all lead is fast and furious, allowing us little time to consider others but surely we all value our own families.

Why then do we give little consideration to consuming fast depleting oil reserves needed by our children?

Why do we not worry about the food and rubbish that we throw away only to lie in a hole in the ground and pollute water sources, endangering wildlife habitats, our children and their children?

The scientific evidence is indisputable about the changes in the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, in the changing world climate and weather patterns and about the fast depleting fossil fuel reserves. Human influence is being accused of causing or influencing these changes and as the world population continues to increase it can only accelerate to the point when life changes will be forced upon us. It has taken 145 years to consume half the 2 – 2.5 trillion barrels of fossil oil world supplies calculated as available and it will take only another 40 years to consume the remaining half unless change is implemented.

The consequences of our addiction to fossil fuels have been well documented when looking at our transport systems but less is understood about the impact of higher oil prices and diminishing supplies on our food system.

Food production today is staggeringly inefficient using roughly 10 calories of fossil fuel energy for every calorie of food produced. From farm to plate, the modern food system relies heavily on cheap oil. Threats to our oil supply are also threats to our food supply and as food undergoes more processing and travels further it consumes more energy every year.

The globalisation of the food industry as well as the sourcing and distribution of food from all over the UK has added considerably to this unsustainable, environmentally damaging and costly supply.
Currently, the UK relies on imports to provide one third of all food consumed, one of the lowest self sufficiency ratios in the EU, with 95% of all fruit consumed and 50% of all vegetables consumed coming into the UK. Half of this production is indigenous produce and could of been grown in the UK.
Food security in a fossil fuel constrained world will become very important in the not too distant future, particularly for heavily dependent countries like the UK. With increasing world populations along with improving standards of living global availability of exportable food could become a major issue leaving the UK unable to meet its own needs.