Comment: The government knows this and tried to bury the report exposing the fact that a great many are relying on foodbanks to feed their families.
In fact, warns Tim Lang in his new book, Feeding Britain, our food system is "stretched, open to disruption and far from resilient". It is easy to castigate panic buyers for empty shelves. But while shopping responsibly will help others to get the food they need, only a few people are squirrelling away vast stocks. Research firm Kantar says the average spend per supermarket trip has risen by 16% to ยฃ22.13 month on month - not surprising when households realised they were likely to need lunches at home, including for children no longer in school, and could have to self-isolate for a fortnight.
The underlying problem is that just-in-time supply chains can struggle to cope with even relatively small shifts, and that a handful of retailers dominate the market. The top eight account for more than 90% of all grocery sales in Britain, with Tesco alone accounting for 27%. The efficiencies that have kept food prices low, and the long and complex global chains that bring us such variety, come at a price.
Border closures due to the virus as well as sickness could yet hit agriculture and delivery. Farmers say they face huge labour shortages, though Britain, France and others are discussing new "land armies" to bring in crops normally harvested by migrant workers. Some countries are imposing limits on exports of staples to ensure they can feed their own populations. Only half the food we consume in Britain is produced here.
The hardest hit will be those who suffer at the best of times. Food charities have warned that millions will need food aid in the coming days. The government says military planners are organising a food delivery system for the 1.5 million people most vulnerable to coronavirus, and is developing a scheme to support the 1.6 million children who rely on free school meals - probably in the form of supermarket vouchers.
This reliance on big retailers is shortsighted. While officials consult with business bosses, local authorities such as Newham in London have the information, experience and resources to reach people in need, but say they cannot get the cash they require. Other efforts, both commercial and social, need support, like the independent shops (in many cases still well stocked) which are launching local delivery services, or the restaurants offering to help feed the isolated.
Relying on market forces has created many of the problems we now face. The pandemic is exposing our food system's fragility: a crucial warning in a world where other shocks - notably from climate change - will be heading our way. In a time of crisis, we must adapt fast. But there are still choices. This could be an opportunity to diversify our supply chain, promote sustainable agriculture, benefit local businesses and find new ways of serving communities. If it instead entrenches the hold of the supermarket giants it will not only be a missed opportunity, but will also leave us in a more precarious position to face the next crisis.
Comment: In short, the massive over-centralization of power in the hands of a few is the problem.
Evidently the UK's food supply is incredibly fragile, and here are a few additional threats that the UK and many other countries face that could quite easily cause food shortages: transport difficulties due to border closures; hard frosts damaging crops; flooded fields preventing them being harvested; droughts, which seem to be a increasing occurrence; plagues of insects, such as the locust swarms decimating crops in the Middle East and Africa; an interruption to Just In Time Delivery caused by a natural disaster (Wikipedia uses an EMP as its example) - and that's just a sample, there are numerous other possibilities and many of them are already happening.
As for solutions, sadly, the vast majority cannot 'do the right thing' and buy local and organic if it's the more expensive option, and the farmers are clearly unable to do much either if their protests all over Europe are anything to go by, because they're already on the brink of going under, and many of them blame the government and it's dictatorial 'green' policies.
See also: Dystopia: UK police using drones to shame the public for going on 'non-essential' walks
And check out SOTT radio's: