Opportunities and threats: In a globalised world, how does Africa become self-reliant
Full details
| Authors & editors | |
| Publisher | Milling & Grain |
| Year of publication | 2023 January |
| Languages | |
| Medium | Digital |
| Edition | 1 |
| Topics | Economics & commerce > Feeding the World |
| Tags | |
| Scope & content | By James Cooper, Milling and Grain Contributor Brexit (for better or worse, but mostly worse) has set us on a path to economic isolation from Europe, and we’re all painfully aware, especially since Covid-19 - but also other international calamities; the conflict in Ukraine, the Suez blockage, a labour crisis - that essential supplies of food, goods and energy are volatile, can be held to ransom or simply switched off. We have all witnessed supermarket shelves stripped of basic essentials due to supply chain failures. A trade that gives us asparagus from Mexico, snowpeas from Egypt and salad crops from Italy and Spain. To go back to pre-colonial food self-sufficiency would require either a massive drop in population or a massive increase in UK farm productivity which, while possible to some degree is unlikely. But, rising fuel, fertiliser and feed costs are piling pressure onto farmers and, according to the NFU (National Farmers Union), the UK is “sleeping-walking” into a food supply crisis. In most respects we’re the lucky ones - other countries reached crisis point many months ago. Food and energy costs are closely linked and clearly, one big factor driving up food prices has been the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the rising cost of grain. Collectively both countries produce 30 percent of global wheat exports. And with inflation running at 23 percent, Russians too are finding out how difficult life can be, albeit for very different reasons. Read more about: National control Enhancing its own food Why is Africa a net food importer? Transforming agriculture to feed its people The need for built-in resilience Regionalisation and diversity |
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