Food Shortages, Price Hikes Hit UK

Extreme weather events have hampered crop yields causing the U.K. to experience food shortages and price increases, reports The Guardian.

Record rainfall has prevented U.K.-based farmers from planting crops including potatoes, wheat, and certain vegetables during the spring season. The crops that have been planted are of poor quality; for example, many have rotted due to the abundance of water, according to the report. The persistent rain has also increased the mortality rate for lambs and decreased the milk production of dairy cows.

President of the National Farmers’ Union, Tom Bradshaw said that the low outputs from farmers have “collapsed” the market. “We’re going to be importing a lot more product this year,” he said.

Already, prices of potatoes have increased by 60 percent year-over-year as a result of the inclement weather, according to an unnamed major retailer.

Dr. Paul Behrens, an associate professor of environmental change at Leiden University in the Netherlands, commented on how climate change has affected the food system.

“We should all be extremely concerned. We need to be doing everything to reduce emissions while transforming our food systems,” he said. Full Story