6 Minute English / Food shortages

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I m Neil.

And I m Rob.

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

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

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

A reliable food supply is essential. In fact, there s an English expression about the dangers of not having enough food for everyone: we are only nine meals away but, away from what, Neil? Is it:a) a revolution?b) anarchy? orc) famine?

I guess the expression goes: we re only nine meals away from revolution.

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

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