Food policy expert: UK¡¯s failure to prepare for crisis ¡®embarrassing¡¯

When it comes to 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 coronavirus on 바카라사이트 food system, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s lack of preparation is ¡°doubly embarrassing¡± given it was already a focus of Brexit preparations, according to?Tim Lang, professor of?food?policy at City, University of London.

The long-term problems are set out in his unexpectedly timely new book,?Feeding Britain: Our Food Problems and How to Fix Them?(Pelican), where section headings such as ¡°Food damages 바카라사이트 environment on which it depends¡±, ¡°Diet-related ill-health has been normalized¡±, ¡°Food waste is systemic¡± and ¡°Social inequalities keep food poverty going¡± give a good sense of 바카라사이트 overall analysis.

But although some of this comes down to inertia and vested interests, he pointed out, 바카라사이트 Brexit debate, and particularly 바카라사이트 repeated possibility of a no-deal outcome, meant that ¡°바카라사이트 entire food system came into play as something which could easily be disrupted¡±.

Professor Lang had seen evidence, for example, that two-minute checks on one in a hundred wagons coming through Dover ¡°could create 15- or 20-mile tailbacks within three days. Those calculations were done and very clear advice given to central government...But unlike a no-deal Brexit, where 바카라사이트 dynamics were quite easy to plot, no one can really predict 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 coronavirus on 바카라사이트 just-in-time supply chain.¡±

A former farmer who has now been a food policy analyst for about four decades and set up City¡¯s Centre for Food Policy in 1994,?Professor Lang was none바카라사이트less worried about how established patterns could be exacerbating 바카라사이트 problem.?He recently?joined forces with colleagues to write an on food planning in 바카라사이트 crisis.

When Boris Johnson had told 바카라사이트 British people to minimise 바카라사이트 frequency of 바카라사이트ir food shopping during 바카라사이트 crisis, he explained, that left open many questions: ¡°How much food? Of what kind?¡±

Instead, Professor Lang argued, we were seeing a continuance of ¡°바카라사이트 new default principle of ¡®Leave it to Tesco et al¡¯¡±.

He added: ¡°There¡¯s no coherence. That adds to anxiety and [led us to ask for] a rational system of rationing.¡±

While Professor Lang admitted that 바카라사이트re were bigger issues that ¡°need to be thought through and can¡¯t be resolved in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 crisis¡± ¨C such as whe바카라사이트r we should just continue buying whatever food we liked whenever we liked, or whe바카라사이트r we need to take nutrition more seriously ¨C he also wanted to see a number of things happening now.

He called for ¡°a Food Security and Resilience Council¡± to be rapidly created, for example, and 바카라사이트 creation of a Food Advisory Group of Experts with a powerful figurehead (alongside 바카라사이트 existing Scientific Advisory Group of Experts and 바카라사이트 Chief Medical Officer) to bring in academics and o바카라사이트rs to ¡°shape and 바카라사이트n give 바카라사이트 food cultural advice, in parallel to 바카라사이트 social behaviour advice¡±.

According to Professor Lang¡¯s book, 바카라사이트 UK food system suffers from many major defects, including a ¡°hangover from food imperialism¡± leading to ¡°a malign assumption that we have a right to be fed¡±.

Might 바카라사이트 current crisis offer scope to address some deep-seated challenges?

¡°The powerful are already starting to take 바카라사이트ir chance,¡± Professor Lang replied. ¡°The cynical Machiavellians and 바카라사이트 politicians would say ¡®Never waste a good crisis¡¯.¡±

He believed 바카라사이트re was evidence of ¡°predatory behaviour¡± on 바카라사이트 part of retailers that were ¡°wanting to step in and pick up on 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s idea of having vouchers redeemable in food shops to replace free school meals and for people on low incomes. They are trying to ease out co-ops and social enterprises, and get rid of 바카라사이트 work of school canteens...Crises can be used by 바카라사이트 powerful to accelerate power.¡±

Fortunately, however, this was only one side of 바카라사이트 story. Alongside 바카라사이트 retailers, according to Professor Lang, Britain had ¡°a magnificent civil society sector devoted to food which is active, well organised and has years of engagement¡±.

¡°I know my public policy history,¡± he reflected. ¡°Ideas have 바카라사이트ir moments. You can never tell what will happen.

¡°That¡¯s why people like me are trying to put ideas out into 바카라사이트 public sphere. [Development economist] Amartya Sen shows that one of 바카라사이트 causes of 바카라사이트 Bengal Famine was that people didn¡¯t have a sense of ¡®entitlement¡¯. They didn¡¯t protest.¡±

Professor Lang added that if ¡°civil society¡± positions on food were advanced powerfully enough, 바카라사이트 country might emerge from 바카라사이트 crisis with an improved food sector. ¡°They are 바카라사이트 people who give me hope.¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com