Watchdog warns UK food-supply emergency planning remains inadequate

Britain has not done enough to prepare its food system for increasingly severe disruptions, the National Audit Office has warned in a new assessment of national resilience.

The public-spending watchdog said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has taken some steps to prepare for shocks but needs closer planning with households, local authorities and food businesses. Risks identified include extreme weather, disease and cyberattacks.

The United Kingdom imports more than a third of its food, with much of it entering through Dover, Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway. That concentration makes supply vulnerable when ports, transport networks or power systems are disrupted.

The NAO found that the last national exercise testing preparedness for a severe food-availability crisis took place in 2023 and did not include most supply-chain companies. Industry representatives also told the watchdog that engagement with the government had declined since the COVID-19 pandemic.

NAO head Gareth Davies urged the government to test emergency plans with local authorities and industry and to learn from other countries. The report noted that food is already classed as one of Britain’s 13 critical national-infrastructure sectors, while industry groups want cold stores and transport hubs to receive stronger protection during power outages.