Basic Food Prices Set to Rise Due to Climate Crisis

Associated British Foods is warning of impending price rises of everyday staples like bread, as the impact of the climate catastrophe on British farming begins to take hold. Here’s the full story.

Vive la Revolution

Throughout history, a steep increase in the price of food, particularly the peasant’s staple, bread, has been a primary factor in whether or not there would be a revolution.

Through modern scientific agricultural techniques and the globalised food market, many proponents of globalisation believed that famines and food shortages may have become a thing that humanity has moved past, like smallpox, which was officially declared eradicated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1980.

However, nature has a nasty way of sneaking up on humankind’s best-laid plans. Now, a profoundly modern problem looms over food production like the biblical plagues of old: the climate catastrophe.

Sounding the Alarm

With the planet continuing to heat up and the UK government more interested in banning climate protests and jailing environmental activists than tackling the crisis, Associated British Foods (ABF), the owner of brands like Kingsmill bread and Ryvita crispbread, has begun to sound the alarm over the potential for price hikes on these everyday staples.

The company’s head, George Weston, told the Guardian, “One to watch out for is UK cereal. The harvest in July and August may be very small and we may be importing quite a lot of grain to the UK and that will come at a cost.”

He continued, “We are not planning to put prices up at this stage but commodities and other input costs may go up more than we anticipate. The situation, if not benign, is more settled than it’s been for a while.”

Record Rainfall

The terrible harvest in the UK has been caused by record rainfall, which has wreaked havoc on the agricultural sector. Crucial staple plants such as potatoes, wheat and other vegetables have not yet been planted due to the waterlogged ground, while winter crops, like oilseed rape, are rotting in the ground, with those that have taken being of inferior quality than expected.

The situation is not likely to improve anytime soon, with the government’s 2021 Food Security report blaming heavy rainfall and droughts for a 40% drop in wheat yields the year before.

The report acknowledged that the poor harvest was a likely “indicator of the effect that increasingly unreliable weather patterns may have on future production.”

“Push the Boundaries”

Professor Richard Pywell of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said in October 2022 that “farmers have largely been able to compensate for adverse weather conditions by changing when they sow or harvest crops,” but added that “climate change will push the boundaries of what can be achieved through crop management.”

Some in the government have started to notice the impact of the impending climate catastrophe on UK food security. At a hearing this week, Robert Goodwill, chair of the environment, food and rural affairs select committee, issued a stark warning: “A perfect storm is brewing on vegetable oil and oil supplies.”

54% Lower

According to analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, UK harvests of oilseed rape, used in many commercial cooking oils, could be 54% lower than comparable harvests from 2015.

Additionally, the war in Ukraine is adding to the crisis, as it is a primary exporter of wheat and sunflower crops used to make cooking oils. With shortages of several staple crops on the horizon, the reality of food price hikes is becoming increasingly certain. However, ABF is likely to weather the coming storm, even if British consumers are less lucky.

37% Surge

Despite a recent dip in profits due to consumers tightening their purse strings and their belts during the pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, ABF recently announced a staggering 37% surge in pre-tax profits to £881 million for the six months ending at the beginning of March. This, coupled with a 2% increase in sales, brought the company’s total sales to £9.7 billion.

As the climate catastrophe continues unabated, with politicians seemingly more concerned with reelection than dealing with any of the country’s innumerable problems, the reality of price rises for the peasant staple of bread is yet another challenge posed by the environmental disaster humanity’s rapacious use of fossil fuels has brought upon itself.

Uncertain Future

With global tensions increasing and future conflicts likely over scant resources, the challenges facing UK consumers, already in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis that has driven millions into poverty, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, are likely to get far worse before they get better.

Grant Gallacher

Grant Gallacher is a seasoned writer with expertise in politics and impactful daily news. His work, deeply rooted in addressing issues that resonate with a wide audience, showcases an unwavering commitment to bringing forth the stories that matter. He is also known for satirical writing and stand up comedy.