Leading UK food experts are advising households to build emergency food stockpiles in case of conflicts, extreme weather, or cyber-attacks disrupting supply chains. The recommendation comes amid growing concerns over food security, with a February report from dozens of top experts warning that the UK food system is a 'tinderbox' due to low incomes and fragile 'just-in-time' supply chains.
Professor Tim Lang, a food policy expert, emphasises the importance of choosing long-life items that require no cooking, such as tinned beans, vegetables, fish, rice crackers, and oats that can be soaked. He also suggests including treats like chocolate or crisps to maintain morale. Water is critical, with a minimum of 7 to 12 litres per person per day needed for drinking and washing.
Perhaps the most surprising advice is to share stockpiles with neighbours. With one in seven UK households with children already experiencing food insecurity, Lang warns that without food, civil unrest could follow. 'All resilience theory and experience shows it is essential to maintain social cohesion if you want to maintain social order,' he says.
Other countries take home stockpiling more seriously. Switzerland provides a website that generates a personalised food list, while Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden offer detailed guidance. In contrast, the UK's Prepare website offers minimal advice, which Lang calls 'stupid'. He urges the government to provide better guidance and to stockpile food nationally, unlike Switzerland and many others.
Lang himself stores beans, dried goods, tins of sardines, and oats. He also recommends growing herbs or vegetables to add variety and micronutrients. The advice comes as UK glasshouse growers warn of shortages of cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers due to soaring gas prices, and a 2024 government report warned of 'catastrophic failure' of food security by 2030 due to climate and geopolitical risks.
