Thread by @localnotail

Big #BrexitConcerns about the 5 serious potential threats to the availability and affordability of food in the United Kingdom after Brexit.
I realise you may not have access so I requested permission from one of the authors to tell you about it. (thread)
academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/adv…

"A new report from the House of Commons Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Committee indicates that food prices, trade & jobs, and food flows across borders -especially in Ireland- look set to be altered and, at worst disrupted, with potentially important implications for health"

Until '54 food was rationed and, during WW2 UK faced serious risk of 2/3 of its food supply being cut off. Today it still imports heavily, mostly from EU. Growth of foodbanks in the UK is a reminder of how precarious the situation is now for some of the most vulnerable in society

There are many reasons the UK should take its food security seriously once more, particularly that the food system has aligned over 50 years with the European Union. There are at least five reasons why Brexit may threaten this security."

(I'm just going to summarise now)

Threat 1: Imported food supply
The UK produces only ~60% of the food it consumes, by tonnage, and only 49% by value.
90% of fruit and 45% of vegetables are imported, mostly from the EU, this will inevitably be disrupted. We're not exactly healthy eaters to start with
#BrexitFood

Threat 2: UK domestic food production, dependent on migrant labour.
27 000 migrants work full-time in agriculture.
70 000 more in food manufacturing, 33% of its total workforce.
Another 75 000 work seasonally picking British fruit and vegetables.
We need them.
#BrexitFood

Threat 3: Food prices.
If no deal is agreed, retailers estimate tariffs will be an average 22%, thus raising consumer prices (which are already rising) . (uk.reuters.com/article/uk-bri…)

#BrexitFood

Threat 3 (cont)
New trade deals take years to arrange. It's not going to be possible to just cut & paste the ones we have with the EU in the event of #HardBrexit.

#BrexitFood

tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/gra…

Threat 4: Logistics
The practical and economic disruption to our import /export process is potentially huge if we leave SM / CU. It's not just time & money, it's simple things like lorry permits.
#BrexitFood #BrexitReality

Threat 4 (Cont): Logistics
People in Government (and Brexiters) really need to listen to people in Freight/Logistics about the impact of Brexit on our ability to import & export.
It's pretty bloody vital.
#BrexitFood #BrexitReality

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Threat 4 (cont) Logistics.
I mean, COME ON! How are SME's and even bigger businesses expected to cope with the additional costs of Brexit??
#BrexitReality

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Threat 5: The effect on Ireland
The Irish agri-food sector is highly integrated, with produce often crossing the border several times during processing.
Biggest goods trade in Ireland, worth £4.5bn in NI alone.
@BorderIrish is 300 miles long, with 275 crossings.
#BrexitFood

Brexit poses a serious threat to the availability/affordability of food (and so the well-being of the British people) + the sustainability of UK & Ireland businesses.

Yet we have a government prepared to push it through knowing all this. /end
#BrexitFood #StopBrexit #PeoplesVote

For reference, the authors of the article that this thread was based on are @martinmckee & @ProfTimLang #BrexitFood #BrexitDoomsday