Food shortages (Medium)

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Im Neil.

Rob

And Im Rob.

Do you know where the food on your plate comes from? Many people just assume that shops will always ready with a cheap and plentiful supply.

Rob

But recently a lack of certain foods in the UK, situation known as a food shortage, has left supermarket shelves empty of everyday items like eggs, tomatoes, and cucumbers. see these food supply problems, which were caused by unusually cold weather combined with rising energy prices, as a not to take a reliable supply for food for granted.

Neil

Like many countries, the UK imports of its food from abroad, and for years has enjoyed a stable and affordable supply. But with changes in world economy, inflation, and the effects of climate change, how much longer will this continue? In this programme, well finding out, and as usual, learning some useful, new vocabulary as well.

Rob

A reliable food supply is . In fact, theres an English expression about the dangers of not having enough food for everyone: ‘we are only meals away…’ but, ‘away from’ what, Neil? Is it:

a) a revolution?

b) ? or

c) famine?

Neil

I guess the expression goes: were only nine meals away revolution.

Rob

OK. Ill reveal the answer later on. Besides difficulties in importing food, some countries are also less food than they used to. In the UK, many farmers are selling their apple orchards to housing developers than struggle with increasing production costs. Heres Adam Leyland, editor of The Grocer magazine, speaking with BBC Radio 4’s, Food Programme.

Adam Leyland

The forecast is for the lowest levels of production since records began. And you think about how much investment there has been in glasshouses and polytunnels since 1985 in a way that's UK supply, quite frankly, the fact that this is what's being forecast is extraordinary.

Neil

Adam says that food production is at its lowest since records began  � a phrase used to mark the point in the when people started writing down an account of something rather than just remembering it, so that the information could used in the future.

Rob

Production is decreasing despite improvements in how food is grown, especially the of glasshouses and polytunnels. A glasshouse is a large greenhouse  � a building with glass sides used for the growing of fruit and vegetables. A polytunnel is a similar structure but made using plastic instead of glass.

However, its not only Brits who are worrying about the production and supply of their food - changes are all around the world. When global demand for food outgrows supply, countries start competing with each other. According to Universitys’, Professor Charles Godfrey, an expert on the global food system, were now living in a less connected, less world, a world which he says is ‘-’.*%de-globalising��-’.

Rob

Deglobalisation involves sourcing food nearer to home - domestically from neighbouring countries. While this sounds positive, Professor Godfrey is worried that deglobalisation makes it harder to supply food parts of the world which cannot produce enough for themselves. Here, he shares his concerns with BBC Radio 4’s, Food Programme.

Prof Sir Charles Godfrey

We think that in the next 30 or 40 years we will see global demand for food rising 30 to 50 percent, and I think a question is: should the UK stepping up to help meet that demand, given that we have a very sophisticated home agriculture… or you could completely the opposite, that we live in a country where we are very depauperate for biodiversity - perhaps we produce less food here and use our land more for biodiversity. My view is that if we plan our use in a canny way, one can produce more food, and one can increase the biodiversity in the country.

Neil

Professor Godfrey thinks only a globalised food system can successfully feed the world population. Countries that can produce should be stepping up to meet demand. If you step up to a situation, you start taking responsibility for something to improve things.

Rob

We need a balance between growing food and maintaining the Earths biodiversity  � number and variety of plants and animals living on earth. Depending on their circumstances, countries could use their land to grow food or to promote biodiversity, but Professor Godfrey thinks both are possible if we are canny  � adjective meaning clever and quick-thinking-.

Neil

Feeding the world is an urgent global challenge with serious consequence, mentioned in that English expression, so… maybe its time you revealed the answer to your question, Rob.

Rob

. I asked you to finish the saying, ‘’Were only nine meals away from…’.

Neil

And I guessed it ‘nine meals away from revolution’?

Rob

Which was the wrong answer, Im afraid. Actually, the saying goes ‘’were nine meals away from anarchy’. I really hope not, but just in case lets recap the vocabulary weve learned with food shortage  � a situation where not enough food is produced.

Neil

The phrase, since records began the point in the past when people started keeping written accounts of events, rather than just remembering them.

A glasshouse is alarge greenhouse  � thats a building with glass sides used for growing food.

Neil

If step up to a situation, you start taking responsibility to act to improve things.

Rob

Earths biodiversity is variety of plants and animals living in the natural environment.

Neil

And finally, the adjective canny means clever quick-thinking-. Once again, our six minutes are up. Goodbye for now!

Rob

Bye bye!