Global food production under strain
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Two Financial Times reports from opposite sides of the world highlight the severe stresses on global food production from the shock of coronavirus followed by the war in Ukraine.
In China, strict Covid lockdowns are exacerbating shortages of fertiliser, labour and seeds just ahead of the crucial spring planting season. Particularly badly affected are northeastern Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces, which together account for more than 20 per cent of the country’s grain production.
In the UK, a new parliamentary report says the UK food industry may shrink permanently if the government fails to address labour shortages resulting from the double whammy of coronavirus and Brexit. These shortages are likely to lead to “wage rises, price increases, reduced…
