York residents have joined forces to explore how they can stockpile food and supplies in case of extreme weather events.
Residents in South Bank have been discussing what “community prepping might look like”, as well as where to store food, said John Gray, a member of Planet South Bank which is working on the initiative with Clements Hall.
The efforts in South Bank come as an unprecedented El Niño event – when sea temperatures in tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5C above the long-term average – is forecast to reach more than 3C in the coming months, making this year’s event “the largest since the 19th century”, according to the Met Office.
El Niño creates a heightened risk of drought in the tropics, southern Africa and north-east Australia, while north-western Europe – including the UK – is likely to experience wetter and stormier conditions in the coming autumn and early winter, the forecaster said.
Environment secretary Dame Angela Eagle said people in the UK should prepare for the increased risk of national weather emergencies by storing supplies.
Chris Jaccarini, analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, also warned that shocks such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz add “new layers of threat” to food imports to the UK.
John, a 58-year-old business coach and trainer, said Planet South Bank carried out a survey in South Bank which found people are “concerned” about the possibility of food shortages.
"It’s the kind of thing we don’t talk about, unless we talk about it," he said. “What was encouraging was to see that people are worried and would like to like to know how to respond. And that’s what this initiative is all about.”
The survey also received a “striking response” about whether the government “was able or willing to respond adequately” to fears over food security, John said.
He admitted that the government must “walk a tricky line” to avoid panic buying but said: “I don’t think [the government] is prioritising [food security] enough and is not working hard enough on the messaging that needs to go out, and on supporting communities that need to do this as well.”
'What happens if we can’t rely on supply systems?'
John said food security is “one of the most important concerns” for his fellow South Bank residents when hearing about how global events and climate change could affect their lives.
“What happens if we can’t rely on supply systems because of the impact of El Niño, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, plus the heat decimating large percentages of crops in Europe and elsewhere?” he asked.
“What’s coming is food inflation, as well as food scarcity – in a year’s time, in five years’ time, in 10 years’ time – who knows when we’ll really feel the impact.
“It’s about long-range plans – what can we do locally that might increase food security for people in York?”
He noted the environment secretary’s advice to store supplies in case of extreme weather events but said: “There’s a justice issue here too because not everyone has the money or the headspace, or the storage space. So it’s not fair just to throw it on local people.”
John said planning by Planet South Bank and Clements Hall is in its early stages.
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He said the groups are yet to start collecting items, but these would be non-perishable food and bottled water in line with government advice.
“It’s not a disaster scenario, but I’d rather have done this thinking in advance than have to do it in an emergency,” he added.
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John said he hopes the efforts in South Bank could encourage people in York and beyond to start thinking about how to make their communities more food secure.
“Partially the dilemma is that it’s all very well South Bank beginning to think about this,” he said, “but it only works if everywhere else in York has the opportunity to do the same because then everyone is more secure. And that also means everywhere else in Yorkshire.
“It’s a really, really interesting set of conversations. And we’re not pressing the panic button, but we’re saying some thoughtful, careful conversations at this stage could make a big difference down the line.”
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