A researcher at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) warns we will see an increase in food product prices due to the impact of climate change on the food supply chain.
The UK food system provides an ideal platform for analysing and predicting the impacts of climate change on the different activities involved in our food supply.
Dr Saher Hasnain, Researcher at the ECI, has worked with the School for Business and Society at the University of York and written a report showing the impact on food prices. The report also details how food system infrastructure such as distribution, storage, processing, and retail sites are all at risk of increased climate impacts.
Dr Hasnain said: "The impacts of climate change are demonstrable in the food system, with food production seeing the biggest consequences domestically and in international markets.
"Impacts related to extreme temperature events, flooding, drought, and soil erosion in particular are of great concern.
"Supporting infrastructure that distribution, storage, processing, retailing, and the consumers at large depend on is also impacted by extreme weather events, and there are likely to be food and product price increases because of supply chain variability.
While uncertainties remain for the food sector and waste management at large in relation to consumption trend changes linked to climate change, all activities in the food system are subject to short-term shocks because of climate change related weather events.”
The report: Impact of Climate Change on the UK Food System has been published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Expert advice and review was given by Dr Monika Zurek and Dr John Ingram, both from the ECI at the University of Oxford, and also Prof Bob Doherty and Dr Philip Garnet, both from the University of York.
Dr Hasnain added: "The UK climate change policy landscape has become increasingly complex with multiple interconnecting programmes in adaptation, net zero, food, and environmental land management schemes. Taken together, all policies are aspirational and aim to positively drive transformational change for food system actors, but the near-term transition costs and experiences for stakeholders particularly in food production, processing, and consumption may be negative.
Climate change is having wide-ranging impacts that are already being felt in the food system. The aim of this report is to assess the most likely changes to the UK food system over the next five years resulting from climate change, with a focus on the FSA’s remit.”
Read the report in full: Impact of Climate Change on the UK Food System