Food security is an issue we can no longer ignore | Letters

Local community food-growing could be best line of defence, writes Dan Farag , while David E Alexander says the government must be more open about its emergency planning, and Antony So says we need to look beyond stockpiling food George Monbiot is right that Britain has become dangerously complacent about food security ( Britain’s scorched fields mean a food crisis – and the government is ignoring the one measure that would help, 13 August ).

A country facing climate shocks, disrupted trade routes and increasingly volatile harvests – all of which contribute to not only the availability of food but its increased cost – cannot rely indefinitely on just-in-time supply chains and supermarket logistics.

But strategic food reserves are only part of the answer.

The other underused resource is our communities themselves.

Research has shown that during floods, infrastructure failures and other emergencies, local groups, charities and neighbours are often the real first responders, stepping in long before formal systems can fully mobilise.

Resilience is not just about what sits in a warehouse; it is about the strength of local networks, trusted relationships and the capacity of people to act together.

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