The Guardian
The cascading effects of Middle Eastern instability on supply chains threaten more shocks to energy and food security in Britain, the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative are warning today.
Laurie Laybourn, executive director of the SCRI, says there is the risk of a shock to UK food security:
In recent years, extreme weather has caused three out of the five worst arable harvests on record in the UK. A wet spring and a potentially climate-charged summer mean that farmers do not need another shock. Yet it’s coming - as a result of rising fertiliser prices, with many fertilisers usually passing through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s a perfect storm for farmers: higher fertiliser and fuel costs and worsening climate extremes.
In response, more is needed to support farmers to reduce their reliance on volatile fertiliser supplies and farm more sustainably, as part of a wider food security strategy for a more volatile world.
