The discourse around the 2025 global food crisis exhibits a blend of skepticism towards media narratives and a proactive approach by individuals investing in personal food security measures. Many view the media portrayal as exaggerated, drawing parallels with past instances of manufactured panic. Despite cynicism about the potential for effective large-scale interventions, there is a prevailing sense of community resilience and self-sufficiency, as people engage in gardening, stockpiling, and establishing local food systems.

Media

Local Communities

International Governments

Agricultural Producers

Nothing we do here is going to affect supplies elsewhere. That's just the truth of the matter.

EffinBob

It doesn't matter how much food we buy here,  it won't help the people in Africa

GilbertGilbert13

They said the same with the start of the Ukraine/Russian war

The issue isn't food shortage, but lack of distribution to support the production

kkinnison

I'm sure that I'm way more cynical than ever before now.  The mass hysteria panic buying does set people on tilt...a compounding/self reinforcing sort of thing.  There's a big diff between someone who plans ahead and has some stores vs someone who panic and hoards...although they're often lumped in together.

IMO...for sure slow and steady stocking up is the way to go.  Cheaper in the long run and if you'll eventually use it...then no waste.

I don't have my own warehouse/supermarket setup in the basement.  It's crazy how much TP the girls will go through when there's "unlimited" rolls available...just nuts.

But I have little faith that our country is going to pull excess from the existing supply chain to ship elsewhere.  We'll want to, and make some token gesture, they'll overspend and try, but have little lasting effect.  Easier to assuage public guilt and indignity with words and money.  We prob burn/let rot/pour out masses of excess on a regular basis...vs divert those resources to feeding the hungry in our own countries.

If we buy less...the other countries supplying it will sell elsewhere or lower prices until demand goes back up.  

I philosophically agree with much of what the OP said...but the root issue, cynicism coming, is that selfish people are selfish and in the worst masses are the privileged 1st world nations that quite litterally live in the lap of luxury in comparison to other people who go hungry everyday and sh*t in a hole without something to wipe their bum. Jeez...some people in our great countries would protest/riot/take up arms (figuratively) to protect their "right" to sh*t in a bucket and to only eat this or that.

Anyway...just venting.

tmwildwood-3617

OP: "we should think about how our purchases affect other people overseas"


Half the responses: "idk feels like America would be fine during a food shortage"

kilofeet

I would encourage you to look around the [Human Progress .org site](https://www.humanprogress.org/) 

It is counterintuitive but food supply is actually great most places. The places with food supply issues are in war zones or very poorly run governments.

FartherFromGrace

Your lecturing the wrong group of people. 

Maybe you should just go to r/all or r/normies and tell them not to panic buy. They are the ones that cause the issues because they failed to do basic preparations or they are scalping to try and make a buck.

therealharambe420

I don't think a food crisis will hurt Americans. 40% of our food crops are never eaten. I believe that includes crops that are processed for things like ethanol

https://www.fb.org/newsroom/fast-facts#:~:text=A%20whopping%2040%25%20of%20all,value%20are%20exported%20each%20year.

%25 of our food is exported, exports far outweighs imports.

If it ever came down to it, food exports would be banned as India and other countries around the world are currently doing

AdditionalAd9794

These posts remind me of the posts last year and year before claiming there would be food shortages. I got kicked out of so many groups for not going along with the hype. If only people realized just how much food is wasted and tossed every day by grocery stores. 

No, I'm not going to panic just yet.

ChristinaHimes

My wife is part squirrel so we have saved up tons of food, and she has tons of connections to get things to eat.  Her family has chickens, we are always have a supply of raw mile, and have 100 lbs of sugar and flower available.   We got caught short of toilet paper and paper towels during covid so now have and ample supply of those.

[deleted]

Is it really our problem to keep taking care of Africa?

numaxmc

I hate to be "that guy", but this is getting real Revelation 6 vibes.

1st seal: guy "rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest"

2nd seal: "take peace from the earth to make people kill each other"

3rd seal: food (wheat and barely) for sale at incredibly high prices.

4th seal: 25% of the population dies from war, famine, and disease.

I hope I'm wrong. I think I'm wrong...hope that's not just normalcy bias. But, yeah, rice is part of my main diet and it's getting a little pricey. I'm planning to keep eating it though because it's still pretty cheap.

Which reminds me I need to start some tomato seeds for fall and setup another garden bed for onions.

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We have been on the precipice of a worldwide food crisis for a long time. Climate change, natural disasters, nutrient loss, soil degradation, pest pressure, fertilizer overuse, pesticide overuse, pollinator death, monocropping, labor shortages, economic turmoil, isolationism, and war. If we had a food clock we would be 5 mins until midnight. 


It doesn't shock me that an industry now largely controlled by businesses majors has decided to treat our food like every single other essential service. Just another thing to add to the list.


Grow what you can. It doesn't take a lot of room to have big impact. Form communities to pool and share resources.

Sloth_Flower

I'm continuing to keep my stocks of rice, beans, sugar, flour, oats, etc as full as possible. I'm planning a large garden. Hoping to get potatoes in within a few days, and the rest covered and ready to plant in another month or so. Have lots of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, etc started. Will be buying seed corn and such within the month. 


60+ chicks that are a couple weeks old need let outside within the week. Just going to keep our current 3 lambs, and plan on a new ram in the late summer (July/August/Sept). Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.

ommnian

Sarah Taber is great. We were hoping she’d win Commissioner of Agriculture here in NC last year, but as useless as the incumbent is, he’s still the incumbent and that’s difficult to overcome. 

Anyway, just to say she’s a solid, science and policy based source for the pulse of the ag sector.

backcountry_knitter

I got a few Aerogarden-style indoor hydroponic grow set-ups, and had purchased a large assorted package of heirloom seeds.  

Normally, I would only do a few and transplant them outside into my raised garden bed planter.  But the growing season isn't that long where I live so this year I'm doing something different.  I got a few more hanging grow lights and change the lightbulbs out in my finished basement to grow lightbulbs.  This weekend I moved my first crop of baby plants out into soil indoors.  I figure I can probably do this three more times before it's actually warm enough here to have anything outside.  I may transplant some things into the outdoor planter box this year, but I'm gonna keep most of my stuff growing indoors, in order to grow more overall, and exert less labor over weeds or protection from deer and rabbits.  

It's pretty shocking that I'm resorting to growing all this produce in my finished basement right now, to be honest.  But it's turning out so well and it's a lot less work than I thought it would be. It's been a month and I've grown 3 heads of lettuce by basically no effort, and a ton of other plants.  So I'm just gonna see where this takes me.

I have a digital pressure canner and a ton of cans.  I'll probably start making dilly beans, and pickling cucumbers and carrots etc eventually.  

Example of the hydro-grower setup:  it is $65.  Does 16 plants at once:

[https://a.co/d/iKnezuP](https://a.co/d/iKnezuP)

The_Dutchess-D

Add in the bee collapse this year, constant floods, fires, droughts all over the US, and backward economic incentives for food production by Trump.

We are SCREWED.

WloveW

Gardening with a newborn is easier than gardening with a toddler. Set up the travel crib outside with a mosquito net. Get a good baby wearing sling. Invest in permaculture and things that readily self-seed this year, so next year is less work: strawberries, rhubarb, dill, lettuce, calendula, garlic, onions.  
Next year plan for growing things with large seeds that your toddler can help with: peas, beans, zucchini, cucumbers. Get bush varieties instead of trellising types so you can grow them in pots.

ResistantRose

I built a big garden this year focused on permaculture, for free. I'd like to get a few fruit trees for sugars and calories and low maintenance 🤞. I'm working with a non profit in my area to start a community garden. All that I grow there I plan to preserve, share, barter, or sell. I'm trying to build up my network of trade. I'm buying eggs from my neighbors, learning to forage, got a fishing license, and I'm going to learn to preserve food this growing season. I got a bunch of fruit tree cuttings and potted them to root and gifted them to any of my neighbors who were interested in starting a "neighbourhood orchard". A friend of mine is starting a food pantry out of their home for their friends and family that I'm supporting with produce from the garden. Im supporting friends who are starting their firsy gardens. My focus is on network development and figuring out what resources I can bring to the table. Im also going to some state conferences for farmers and homesteaders and I'm networking and figuring out where we need gaps filled and doing what I can to fill them.

crazygirlsarehottoo

I'm planning to plant a lot of storage crops with the hope of filling the pantry and then having plenty to share with neighbors/food bank. Winter is 6 months long here and we're pretty much at the end of the supply chain (interior alaska) so I think about it a fair bit. I am trying to encourage people to do the same if they are able. 

A friend made a flyer for me. You can download here and post around your community. 
www.praxisgarden.com

itscoldcase

I am very fortunate to live in an area with a strong local agriculture presence that isn't reliant on federal money (because they are too small).  We buy almost exclusively local produce from the time it's available (late June) until October/November.  Unfortunately a lot of the bigger farms who used to grow storage and staple crops for the local and regional markets (potatoes, dried beans, dried corn) have either gone agribusiness or sold their fields for solar.  I think the issues will come for us next winter when this years' agribusiness harvests don't happen because of lack of labor.

heggieknitter

I doubled the size of my garden and bought a ton of mason jars to can. I also bought a dehydrator and a vacuum sealer.

Hairy-Atmosphere3760

We made raised beds in our suburban back yard about 8 or 9 years ago.    We have been  gardening since.   Our garden makes up 75 - 80% of our food for the summer and some for the winter too as I freeze some of our veggie stews for winter.   

I can tell you that collards will grow in a lot of different weather conditions and still do well.   They freeze great.    

Field peas will grow in harsh conditions as well. Our favorite and most prolific are red rippers.   Blue speckled cow peas are also very good, but not quite as prolific.   We liked black eyed peas, but our local ants ate them before we did, while not touching the other varieties.   The time to try different choices is now, so you know what you like.

SWGardener

I went through my pantry recently, after having to rely upon it heavily for over 5 months. I definitely learned a few things. It’s important to take stock in figuring out how you would go about getting enough dietary requirements, for an extended period of time. I’d highly suggest trying to live off your pantry a few weeks or so to see how things work out. We all joke about eating all the snacks the first couple of days, but what’s it really going to be like once the shtf?  
Pay attention also to the climate and politics of where you get your food, especially now. When I saw that the climate tanked where my favorite coffee beans are from, I bought a ridiculous amount of coffee. It’s my only true splurge and it keeps my airways open. 
That brings to mind storing items that have dual+ purposes. I think of things like spices, herbs, teas, oil, vinegar, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder. Some of these can even be used for arts and crafts.

mygirlwednesday7

I've been stocking up on nonperishables all winter and replacing them as we used them. In my house, that's a variety of dry beans and lentils, rice, pasta, masa harina, flour, yeast, oats, canned tomatoes, stock concentrate (Better than Bouillon), dehydrated vegetables, dried fruit, peanut butter, canned chicken and tuna, vinegar, cooking oil, dried herbs and spices, and coffee beans. We already use all of this stuff, and worst-case scenario, we'll have extras that we can donate. (Don't stock things you won't eat.) We're also buying things for our freezer, but there's no guarantee that we won't lose that stuff in an extended power outage so it's not our main focus. 

I've also signed up for a CSA share, and we're considering adding a second vegetable garden bed in the yard. We'll visit some of the local U-pick orchards and berry farms this summer and purchase a lot of fruit to can or dehydrate. This is a good reminder for me to check our canning supplies and purchase whatever we're running low on. 

Oh, and if you have pets, stock up on food for them. I've been ordering two large bags of cat food at a time for our three boys and stashing one. They'll keep in a cool, dark closet for 18 months (according to the best-by dates), so worst-case scenario, we won't have to buy cat food for several months.

GF_baker_2024

I have a deep short term pantry and long term food. 

I've canned (water bath and pressure canning) for years. I have a dehydrator. I vacuum seal all my dry goods (mylar with oxygen absorbers for long term, glass jars for short term). 

I keep chickens for fun; they give me eggs and break down various yard debris and leftovers into some good soil amendments. I currently have 17. 

I have a half an acre and that includes our home, perennial gardens, forested areas and veggie garden. I use raised beds for most of my annual veggie garden, though I do put a few things in the ground. My whole yard has been a work in progress for the last 20 years with a major remodel last year. 

I've added edible plants each year. I have goumi berry, bush cherry and lovage closest to the street (no one could identify those, frankly). Bloody dock and arugula pop up everywhere. I have a bay tree in a large pot that I keep at about 4' tall and harvest and dry leaves every spring. I have an asparagus patch (I add some plants every few years, from seed). I have Egyptian walking onions and keep a shallot patch. I have various herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme (though it is a struggle to keep that one alive), chives, and oregano. Rhubarb was dug up last year and I replanted a chunk- I also added two more chunks this spring. I have two tea plants (camellia sinesis), which can provide me with black, green or oolong tea depending on the processing of the leaves. I have three apple trees (honey crisp, a dwarf called Apple Babe, and a columnar variety I can't recall), two pear (Bartlett and Seckel), an Italian plum, and a peacotum (just planted hybrid of peach, apricot and plum). I have lots of red and gold raspberry bushes as well as some traditional tall red raspberry canes. I have a hardy kiwi, a boysenberry (which was planted last year and is growing exponentially this spring), blueberry bushes and strawberry plants. I have some horseradish tucked back in a corner of the property. I have a garlic patch that I harvest from and save for the next year. I put out some wine cap mushroom spawn last fall. 

I start all of my vegetable and flower plants from seeds. I have 18 varieties of peppers this year, 14 tomato varieties and 5 eggplant varieties. I choose my varieties based on what sort of needs I have. There is always fresh eating of course, but I do a lot with an eye towards preserving. I have a favorite sauce tomato, and favorite jalapeño for pickling and pressure canning, a favorite cayenne for drying, etc. This year I've added three pepper varieties to potentially turn into enchilada sauce. Is it likely cheaper than buying the canned version or even the dried peppers in bulk? Maybe, maybe not. I grow a summer squash called goldini that is known to be flavorful when dehydrated/rehydrated - summer squash often isn't tasty after preserving it that way, but this variety is. I started growing rampicante this past year and I was impressed. I still have one squash in the unfinished basement that I will try next month. I check it out now and then to see how it is doing, and it's looking great still. It supposedly can store at room temperature for a year. 

I've started oodles of petunias, gazania, African daisy, coleus, begonia (yes, from seed!), marigold and even some hens/chicks (those are super cute when they're really small). I do some outside winter sowing as well - this year, I have lots of hollyhock, some additional asparagus and some rhubarb. They all seem to have sprouted. 

I just had a good sized greenhouse installed (a fair investment, but it not only looks gorgeous, but it will get all of my plant starts out of the house). It has power and water installed inside, so I can choose to extend the growing season if I wanted to - I'll try simple things like tomatoes and cucumbers this fall and see how economical that is to keep going through the winter.

I've obviously been building my yard for years. None of this was done last year or the year before. Gardening is a process. Starting this year is a good thing - even just a tomato plant. I garden because it brings me peace and joy and some edible goods. Not sure I'd like it as much if I had to rely on it, but I've always planted things with an eye towards "what if".

missbwith2boys

The USDA has also recently banned researchers from talking about "Micro plastics", "Pollution runoff", "Clean drinking water," "Water Pollution", "air pollution", "sustainable farming", "soil pollution", "nutrient leeching", and many more concerning bans on other phrases like "affordable housing". Things are going to get worse before they get better.

cat-the-commie

One thing I've been considering:

 [Jerusalem artichoke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zavQRGSENlk)   
([more scientific review](https://corn.aae.wisc.edu/Crops/JerusalemArtichoke.aspx))  
Jerusalem artichokes, also known as sunchokes, provide about 110 calories per cup (150g), with 3g of protein, 26g of carbohydrates, and negligible fat. They are rich in iron, potassium, and contain a high amount of inulin, a beneficial soluble fiber that supports gut health. Would provide a good source of repeatable growth.

We have been very fortunate to purchase a new home with a very large backyard garden from a previous owner that owned an urban farm nearby. It is primed and ready with irrigation and she even has a seed starting set up in the basement that she is leaving for us. I bought about 50 varieties of seeds from seed savers exchange and I plan to direct so as much as possible since we aren’t moving in until mid April and then seed starting for fall crops. Most of the CSA near us are already sold out, but I do have a couple local contacts for eggs and because our new home has an extra fridge and space for a deep freeze, we are planning to do a huge food stock up. We’ve already got freeze dried things for emergencies enough to last 30 days., but we want to stock up on meat and we are getting a Costco membership to buy up a bunch of things that we can store long-term either by canning or vacuum sealing. My next step is to buy a whole bunch of mason jars. Once we get moved in and pray to the rain gods that we don’t have a drought this summer. This whole situation basically from 2020 to now has kept us hypervigilant to make sure we always have enough food for 30 days. Crazy we have to think this was in a modern world 😩

Background-Pin-1307

Wow. I got halfway through that article and now I’m just staring at my 11 and 8 year old. I’ve just started exploring these possibilities. And we live in nyc. Tied here for employment / paycheck to paycheck. No way to move. I do know lots of my neighbors, being a chatterbox and figuring people keeping an eye on our place when we aren’t around isn’t a bad thing necessarily?

tindler8080

This is going to be difficult. One thing that is going to be a challenge for my household is the fact that my husband and I have both been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, so a lot of the “cheap” staple foods that we relied on back when we were struggling are now off the menu. No rice, no pasta, no bread, no sugar. So, we’re modifying our diet to eat healthier, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to do it in the near future without turning to homesteading, and right now we can’t do that in our current living situation. So we’re making plans to do some drastic lifestyle changes just to survive.

violetstrainj

This is what my family of farmers has been prepping for, for decades. My grandpa knew the collapse was inevitable and made sure we all knew how to grow and can food, take care of livestock, and maintain the farm without losing too much quality of life. He was a Great Depression kid, as was grandma. The stories they’d tell about the dire poverty was motivation enough for most of us grandkids to learn some old ways.

FullyRisenPhoenix

I feel so dumb right now, Idk how to garden at all. It feels super overwhelming, but I still want to to try. I feel kinda screwed... idk how to preserve things or anything.

We’ve been monitoring food prices. We’ve also stocked up on Flour and Rice due to the fact most of our flour comes from either Ukraine or Canada and most of the Rice comes from Southeast Asia and China. Costco is getting the bulk of our business. 
I’ve also stocked up on pasta making supplies, bread making (yeast is going to go fast just like it did in COVID), and we’ve switched most of our produce buying to the local farmers markets. They are now way cheaper than super markets. 
We’re preserving and freezing more, wasting less, and watching everything. 
My biggest advice is to be more worried about water. The folks who predicted the 2008 crash are investing in it as a commodity like crazy. 

r8chaelwith_an_a

Stock up on staples. Grow what I can. Preserve what I can. I'm loving my dehydrator. It's super easy to snackify fruits. At some point soon I need to start practicing canning as I expect an abundance of green beans. Jerusalem artichokes will get planted soon and will no doubt take over a large untended patch in the back. Fruit trees planted a few years ago are not dead yet. Hoping for success there. 

I want some chickens or quail, but am having trouble figuring out where the time to care for them is going to come from. Lot's of people locally have chickens, so I don't see that as an urgent matter. 

Keep in mind that this is a marathon, not a sprint. I don't think the world as we know it will end tomorrow or even a year from now. Maybe nothing will ever happen. But it's a good idea to have a backup plan. If nothing else, I'm happy to know I wont be running out of essentials any time soon.

CurrentResident23

I am begging my contractor to build my greenhouse so I can get tender and tropical plants going. 

And I spent half a paycheck on fruit, vegetable, seed, herb, spice, medicinal, and pollinator seeds including a TON of beans (for protein), lots greens (for vitamins and fiber), and an embarrassing number of tomato and melon seeds (because I like them!). If I can manage the climate, I think I have enough seed to feed me (pretty well) for decades. 

I can everything for year-round use. I need to build a solar dryer and start getting serious about fermentation and distillation. Also, I’m stockpiling grains and powdered milk/eggs in my freezer.

ProfDoomDoom

Just wait until you see the reports that 70-80% of the remaining honey bees have died off in the last years or so. Wiped out

iggwoe

Bought a 10’x20’ greenhouse a few months ago.

GatorOnTheLawn

Sarah Taber is great! I hadn’t followed her yet since migrating from twits to blusky.

micaflake

I'm also part of a csa which I hope to eventually supplement with farmers markets visits cause I think our local growers will need our support. For growing food at home I'm in not great practice, I grow a handful of herbs every year to save money mostly, and have a lemon and orange tree but my goal this year is to try out some other foods and see what works. 

Glad_Astronomer_9692

A couple of years ago I got my hands on the book ‘Preserving food without freezing or canning’ and it has been amazing for reducing the time I spend in storing food. There’s also a list in one of Carole Deppe’s books (can‘t recall which one right now) of how long specific home grown produce keeps without special storage activities being undertaken. Those 2 things really changed my approach.

Canning is great, don’t get me wrong. But there is a time and energy expenditure that has to considered.

I do still grow foods that I will store by freezing or canning, but most of what I grow is prioritised to high calorie and low storage input with the other stuff tucked into spots around other things.

wortcrafter

Oh I'm just going to sit and cry, basically.  

Never gardened, guess I'm going to learn under duress/stress.  Trying to create a deep pantry but that's a new adventure as well. This sub has been helpful but after reading the thread I just feel completely useless and unprepared with no time or ability to learn quickly enough.  

Yep, I'm real fun at parties too. :|

hooptysnoops

I bought a share in a CSA too - I'm afraid people will be scrambling to do so and there won't be enough farm shares for everyone.

kiv558

I think the biggest scam ever perpetrated on humanity was the guy who monetized food and water.


Because food and water aren't rights or privileges, but human necessities. We can uncomfortably survive without shelter but not without food or water.


They have been weaponized to control populations for thousands of years. 


Try and imagine the progress we could make if food and water were as easily accessible as air and sunshine.


This food crisis, along with shredding all the other protections we've taken for granted, are designed to leave us on our knees. If we can't find a way to care for each other in such a way that makes the powers irrelevant, what's ahead is truly bleak.

Wooden_Number_6102

I have mylar bags full of sugar, flour, spices, black beans, and rice.  I'm maintaining a deep pantry, a full freezer, and I have my garden seedlings going.  We also have chickens, with plans to add a few more soon. We have rabbits, which is a healthy meat source. Unfortunately they haven't been breeding "like rabbits" lately but now it's spring, the does are a little more receptive, so we'll see how it goes :).   

We also know other rabbit breeders and someone with cattle.  They are close friends, so I know we can work out a trade, and if we can't trade they will at least give me first shot to purchase.

OoKeepeeoO

I have about 2 years worth of food for two people stored up.

450 pounds various wheat berries to make my own fresh milled bread, rolls, buns, tortillas,  pitas,  pasta.

About 200 pounds various dried beans, including soy beans to make Tofu and Tempeh with.

75 pounds Basmati and Jasmine rice and 50 pounds Wood Parched Wild Rice. 

Ten big #10 cans of Freeze Dried Broccoli.
Same with Corn,  Peas, Potato Shreds, and Black Bean burger mix.
About 5 to 6 cans each of Freeze dried chopped onions, Spinach, Mixed Vegetables,  Strawberries,  Blueberries.

All kinds of various regular canned food, lots of various beans, diced/whole/crushed tomatoes and sauce.
At least a dozen jars Carbonne spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce.
Tons of cooking sauces, jarred olives.
About a gallon each of Avocado oil and EVOO.

All the supplies needed to grow 100s of pounds of fresh gourmet mushrooms,  3 types of Oyster,  2 types of Shiitake,  Lions Mane.
Lions mane makes a great steak substitute. 

About 15 pounds of TVP.

About 15 pounds of various soy protein chunks.
A constantly rotating stock of about 8 pounds of Soy Curls which are excellent to make BBQ sandwiches,  sweet n sour "meat" for stir fries and a really good jerky.

Usually have at least 10 pounds of Tofu on hand plus in a pinch I can make my own with Soy beans.

All the seeds and supplies needed to grow a ton of Broccoli and Alfalfa and sunflower sprouts and micro-greens .

I have an indoor grow room with lights fans humidifier and dehumidifier to grow a couple dwarf tomato plants, basil,  plus a lot of Malabar Spinach which is super nutrient dense, can grow year round and quick giving them 18 hours of 650w LED .

Also have about a dozen 25 gallon fabric pots on back deck to grow potatoes in, get about 10 pounds taters per pot and I grow them staggered a month apart to get potatoes up to at least October thats about 100 pounds plus of fresh taters.
Usually have at least 2 to 3 pots for Bell pepper and Jalapeno.

nunyabizz62

Dry canning and vacuum sealing Mylar bags for 25 lb flour, pasta and rice in food grade 5 gallon buckets. Freeze dried vegetables and fruit. Canned fruit and canned and frozen meat. I’m exhausted

SpringPowerful2870

Check to see if your local library has a seed library or if they’d be willing to start one!

taylorbagel14

I’m a long time customer of a local Amish CSA, I will be storing what I can’t eat of course.  I think I will buy extras to add when I normally don’t.

lumpy4square

I'm gardening... with the newborn, working full time and going to school full time. 

It's honestly very relaxing and enjoyable. I put in my tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers today. 

My amaranth, shiso, carrots and lettuce seeds are all coming in nicely.

The blackberry and raspberry are about to yield. 

My cucumber, pumpkin, squash, beans and peas need to be thinned

I've got the seeds for corn and huaxontle and determinate tomatoes. 

Hopefully we won't have a freak weather year again. Frost setbacks have been real the last few years.

bumbletowne

Yeah. I've been stocking a big ol' pantry and I'm going to make myself try gardening this year bc I Need to learn.

I live in Iowa, and I'm really starting to worry about the farmers. This time last year, a lot of farmers already had fields planted (very early ik) and just yesterday I counted one. 1! Field with growing plants. Of the probably 20-30 fields I pass by. A lot of them haven't even been... overturned? For planting, like last year's dead corn is still there. So no activity whatsoever

I've lived in rural America my entire life, but last year's earlyass planting has me thrown off lol
But I'm definitely keeping tabs on the situation now

Everyone should be stocking up/growing food regardless

messymaelstrom

I read somewhere that already in 2025, 68% of the bee population in US just up and died. 


That's going to cause a MASSIVE food outage next year. Like holy shit serious.

I bet we'll start seeing the beginning of serious food shortage crisis starting November, this year's growing season will be a bust, no bees to pollinate next years crops and even worse.

SophiaRaine69420

As a woman married to a farmer who runs a CSA, I just want to say thank you for supporting your local economy and local farmers.

thetransparenthand

AdvertisingCertain70

Half of my garden is set up for butterflies and bees.  Other half is food for us.  I have no illusions that I’ll be able to fill more than a fraction of our (and extended family’s) food needs, but it’s better than nothing.

Other than that, deep pantry.

library_wench

That bsky thread is excellent, and they've got a new follower. I live in the middle of ag country - my neighbors keep voting for the subsidies and bailouts. Idk if I could have that real conversation with them. Something i need to figure out.

Substantial_Slip5524

Get a community garden going folks! More hands make light work!!

christhedoll

My husband is doing a garden this year, and we have chickens.

kittycatblues

I have a lot of extra transplants that I'm trying to plant wherever I can find space. Need to stock up again on flour, sugar and oats. Know how to make my own bread, so yeast too.

cozyandlaly

Planting a garden. Networking with community members who have chickens, grow stuff I don’t, or have access to things I don’t (I live in farm country). Learning how to preserve.

dakotawitch

Mrbackrubber

Buying meat on sale and freezing. Doubling up food prep and freezing half. Buying a cow with friends from local grass-fed farm. Freezing that. Having friends/fam that hunt and fish and willing to trade labor and other skills (sewing, etc). Getting to know neighbors so we can arrange bartering if needed. Based on what I’ve seen/read/heard from books, pioneer ancestors, and history, no (wo)man is an island. If a disaster hits, we can’t get through this alone. We need community. Make friends with people and learn good gardening/homemaking skills so you can help each other out.

reginaphalange790

“Produce is just more work and investment than grain is.”

I have a yard with roughly 200 sq feet of fruits and vegetables that I’m growing, and can confirm.

adlopez

How do you prep for a food crisis if your plan is bugging out to a family members house?  
  
I'm in a small city apartment and moving is not an option right now (nor do I want to - I love my community here). My preps center around bugging out, not staying in. I have enough supplies in my apartment for shelter in place for a week or two and otherwise I focus on getting the heck out of here with my bug out bag. No idea how to prep for bugging out and a food crisis! If I can make it to my distant bug out location, my family has land. If I can't make it that far, I'll be in the suburbs and not faring much better food wise. Any others in this situation? Any tips?

PlaceSong

Increasing garden space, buying defense (nets &amp; fencing) for existing garden space, buying into my yearly CSA, buying into a chicken CSA with pickups in July &amp; September. 

Making friends with farm market vendors like our bread last or mushroom guy. Going to a couple of other farm markets &amp; logging differences (one near us has oysters &amp; alcohol, another has cheese and quail &amp; quail eggs). If needed, I know local suppliers of food sources. 


Working on learning more tree species &amp; local geology to aid in my foraging adventures. Recently learned why I'm not finding morels closer to home is because they prefer alkaline soil &amp; most of ours is slightly acidic. Found an area 30 - 40 min away with lots of dolomite &amp; lime bedrock, so guaranteed to be more alkaline than my blueberry mountain nearby. And I've already hiked there a couple of times, so hubby and I are planning a hiking picnic date there when the morel maps indicate it's season here.

forensicgirla

I have a question I hope can be answered. I have a small area of grass that I was thinking of putting raised garden beds. This grass has been treated up to now every year. Does anyone think the chemicals that were applied would leach up in raised beds?

My biggest prep at the moment is figuring out ways to eat available low cost proteins (lentils &amp; beans) in ways that can work in my lifestyle. 
I yearn to apprentice with several immigrant elders, and learn how to actually cook stuff better, but there are none in my area  
(Monetization means although recipes &amp; videos are out there everywhere, a good percentage are a waste of time &amp; food, and taste like c**p.)

It's better to plant a few things that you know how to grow, harvest, store, cook &amp; eat than planting a bunch of things you need to learn. Experiment with one or two things. But you can build community by sharing with others and asking for their advice on how to garden or preserve.

EleanorCamino

New to this but I have 4 fruit trees in my yard and a vegetable garden. That alone would be enough for my toddler and I in any emergency situation.

TradeBeautiful42

Bestie and I are doing a garden at her place. Planning to do some different types of preserving as well.

Sucks because there's plenty of farm land, it's just set up to grow the wrong things. We're not going to have the ag workers to do the much more labor intensive food farming. Not enough notice for farmers who had already ordered their seed and fertilizers, no effective systems to distribute the food if farms had switched to vegetables instead of corn/soy this year. One of my friends casually mentioned to her in-laws that they should take 10 acres of cotton field and grow food crops and couldn't understand why they were laughing at her. Babe, who is going to weed and water and pick acres of tomatoes and peppers and squash? It takes you a whole day to clean up 20ft of flower bed.

Intelligent-Owl-5236

I planned my own garden a little more carefully than I have in the past. I’m going to try to do some pickling and canning as well. 

We also have a basement full of non-perishables

On_my_last_spoon

I'm not a gardener. But I'm trying something for me that is an experiment. Seeds, little pots, water, seed starter "soil," a southern exposure window, and a grow light. I usually kill house plants. But I need to know if I can do this because I'm sincerely worried about what's coming. While I'm good in the kitchen, I have never done any canning/preserving except for freezing stuff like my homemade applesauce. I'm pretty sure I have my grandma's canning pot somewhere. We have stocked up, but how long will that last? Right now I think we could live off our pantry and freezers for a couple of weeks. One of the items I'm trying to stockpile and need to find a better way to do it is coffee. Yeah. We're addicted. I've seen people vacuum-seal beans. So IDK. Climate change is going to wipe coffee off the map. We're also old(er.) 60s-70s. With the cuts this admin is making, and the effort to collapse our economy...the next 20 years look bleak.

MotownCatMom

maggsy1999

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I hate these articles, they do more harm than good, now even if there is a slight shortage, people will read this shit and cause a massive shortage.

It should be illegal to write articles like this, same with petrol. 

I remember a couple of years ago some article went viral about the country running out of petrol and for like 3 days I had to search for miles for a petrol station with fuel because everyone had stocked up 'just in case'. 

Causes havoc and is potentially dangerous for elderly people and disabled people.

BreadXCircus

Just been to the supermarket, no empty shelves of anything. Loads of butter. Usual Independent clickbait. Photo was probably taken just before closing or something.

Jabba25

Don’t we have one of the lowest food costs in the world? I haven’t struggled to get anything I need in the super markets. I’m not saying that nobody has but let’s be real…. There is no food crisis. Ethiopia has a food crisis. We just have people that could quite frankly do with losing a stone or two.

NoPhilosopher6111

LondontoGatwick

Can the Independent please just leave this garbage to the Daily Mail?

RFCSND

Went to Tesco at lunch, with no empty shelves but also no almond flour. OMG, that's the gluten-free birthday cake ruined! CRISIS!

makemycockcry

Where is this? I see full shelves where I am

bluecheese2040

#PRÉCIS: Britain’s Food Crisis Deepens as Shortages and Price Rises Bite
-
Supermarket shelves are emptying, prices are soaring, and everyday staples are slipping out of reach. Butter, broccoli, and orange juice are among the latest casualties of a worsening food crisis, but the deeper concern is that this isn’t just a temporary blip. Britain is heading towards a long-term problem that could reshape the way people eat, shop, and afford to live.

The relentless rain of the past year has devastated British farms, leading to poor harvests and higher prices for basics like bread and vegetables. At the same time, extreme weather in Spain and Italy has hammered the supply of fresh produce, making imported fruit and veg scarcer and costlier. Across the Atlantic, Florida and Brazil are struggling with disease-hit citrus crops, causing orange juice to all but vanish from some shelves. Even beer and coffee are feeling the squeeze as a global aluminium shortage and climate-induced crop failures push up costs.

The problem goes beyond the weather. Brexit has left Britain with too few agricultural workers, and strikes in key food processing plants have disrupted supply chains. Some of the biggest names in food, from dairy giant Arla to juice brands Innocent and Tropicana, are already rationing supply. Trade tensions with the US threaten to push prices even higher. Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis has made food inflation particularly painful, with prices rising 26 per cent in just three years.

As household budgets buckle, food banks are seeing unprecedented demand, and experts warn of growing unrest if people can no longer afford to eat. The government has pledged £5 billion to support farmers, but many in the industry argue this is far from enough. Some propose reviving seasonal worker visas to fill labour gaps. In contrast, others suggest boosting British-grown alternatives to imports or reintroducing wartime-style subsidised canteens to ensure people can still access affordable meals.

For now, shoppers face the prospect of paying more for less. What were once routine grocery runs are turning into scavenger hunts, with empty shelves and eye-watering price tags becoming the new normal. The warning signs are clear: unless Britain acts fast to secure its food supply, the current shortages could be just the beginning.

TheSleepingPoet

This link has been shared 1 time.

First Seen [Here](https://redd.it/1itwpsj) on 2025-02-20. 

---

**Scope:** Reddit | **Check Title:** False | **Max Age:** None | **Searched Links:** 0 | **Search Time:** 0.00587s

RepostSleuthBot

I’m not sure where this shortage is, but the shops are full around here…

Bob-Boberson

Not actually confined to Britain

&gt; #The great British food shortage: Why your weekly shop is about to get worse
&gt; 
&gt; **Spiralling inflation isn’t the only problem: butter is vanishing, broccoli seems like a luxury and orange juice can cost as much as a pint. Hannah Twiggs investigates why Britain’s food supply is in crisis and what could be next to disappear from our supermarket shelves**
&gt; 
&gt; *Thursday 20 February 2025 06:00 GMT*
&gt; 
&gt; 
&gt;  
&gt; 
&gt; 
&gt; Once upon a time, a trip to the supermarket was routine. You went in, picked up what you needed, paid and left – probably moaning about the price of cheese, but still confident that cheese would be there. Now? Not so much. Butter’s on the endangered list, broccoli has gone into hiding and good luck finding a bottle of orange juice that doesn’t cost the same as a pint in Soho.
&gt; 
&gt; Shelves are bare. Prices are soaring. Food is turning into a luxury rather than a given. But this isn’t some fleeting post-pandemic blip. This is the future. And unless serious action is taken, Britain is staring down the barrel of a food security crisis that will make the Brexit-fuelled tomato shortage look like a minor inconvenience.
&gt; 
&gt; The weather’s not helping, obviously
&gt; 
&gt; If you’ve been outside at any point in the last year, you’ll have noticed that it’s mostly rained. This is bad news for farmers. Last year, England suffered its second-worst harvest on record, with farmers losing crops to relentless downpours and cold snaps. At Sandridge Barton, a vineyard in Devon, grape production plummeted by 70 per cent – which is a big problem when your entire business model revolves around, well, grapes.
&gt; 
&gt; It’s the same for wheat farmers. Their losses mean flour is in short supply, which means bread is more expensive, which means your morning toast just got a little less affordable. Meanwhile, broccoli and cauliflower – normally in abundance by this point in the year – are missing, thanks to a disastrous growing season in Spain and Italy. These are two countries Britain relies on for fresh veg, and this year, unseasonal cold and rain mean they’ve simply got less to send.
&gt; 
&gt; The result? Supermarkets are struggling to stock even basic greens. If you do find broccoli, you’ll probably pay more for it. And if you don’t? Time to get used to life without it.
&gt; 
&gt; But while the climate crisis is making growing conditions more volatile, Luke King, supply and technical director at organic veg box company Riverford, argues that the problem runs deeper. “Yes, extreme weather is making growing conditions more unpredictable, but the industrial food system is at the heart of the problem,” he explains. “We need a whole-system shift – one that values the true cost of producing good food and supports the farmers who work with nature, not against it.”
&gt; 
&gt; Without fundamental change, these shortages will only become more frequent – and it’s not just consumers who will suffer. Farms can’t survive on razor-thin margins forever. If we don’t start prioritising resilience over short-term profit, the real crisis will be when there aren’t enough British farms left to grow our food at all.
&gt; 
&gt; 
&gt; Broccoli and cauliflower will be in short supply this spring thanks to a disastrous growing season in Spain (Getty)
&gt; 
&gt; Hannah Brinsden, head of policy at the Food Foundation, meanwhile, says this is just one part of the bigger picture. “As outlined by the government’s Food Security Report published last year, geopolitics, climate change and Brexit are all impacting our national food security,” she explains. “Meanwhile, cost of living and food inflation have contributed to a higher cost of food, widespread food insecurity and healthy diets being out of reach for many.”
&gt; 
&gt; Imports can’t save us
&gt; 
&gt; Despite companies like Riverford championing home-grown produce, Britain isn’t exactly self-sufficient when it comes to food, which means that when things go wrong elsewhere, we really feel it. The citrus harvest in Florida and Brazil has collapsed thanks to disease and extreme weather, meaning there’s barely enough orange juice to go around. Innocent and Tropicana – two of the biggest names in juice – have been rationing supply. If you’ve noticed fewer cartons on the shelves, now you know why.
&gt; 
&gt; It’s the same story across the board. A global aluminium shortage has made it harder to produce cans, meaning beer is in shorter supply. Meanwhile, coffee and cocoa prices have doubled, thanks to extreme weather ruining crops in key growing regions. Your morning flat white and the bar of chocolate you reach for when the day turns to hell? Both are about to get significantly more expensive.
&gt; 
&gt; Even basic cooking essentials are feeling the squeeze. Sunflower oil is becoming harder to source, butter prices are climbing and beef isn’t far behind. The simple truth is this: as the climate crisis intensifies, food is only going to get harder to produce.
&gt; Brexit, strikes and the case of the vanishing workers
&gt; 
&gt; You can’t produce food without workers, and Britain no longer has enough of them. Brexit saw an exodus of agricultural workers, and those who remain aren’t exactly being incentivised to stay. The result? Arla, the UK’s biggest dairy supplier, has warned that farmers are cutting herd sizes, which is why butter is getting more expensive. Meanwhile, a strike at Bakkavor’s Spalding plant – the company that makes dips, soups and pasta sauces for most major supermarkets – caused a Christmas shortage of party food.
&gt; 
&gt; Grape production has plummeted globally due to unpredictable and extreme weather
&gt; 
&gt; This is the state of things now: a single factory strike is enough to send an entire category of products into freefall. The supply chain is that fragile.
&gt; 
&gt; And then there’s the question of trade. The US has been floating tariffs as high as 24 per cent on certain imported foods, which, if implemented, will push prices even higher. The cost of living is already at breaking point. If food prices keep rising, who knows what will happen next?
&gt; 
&gt; This is now a crisis
&gt; 
&gt; Food inflation in Britain has hit a 45-year high. And there’s no relief in sight.
&gt; 
&gt; “Food prices have increased by about 26 per cent over the past three years, and our food insecurity survey found that 13.6 per cent of households were food insecure in June 2024, rising to 18 per cent in households with children,” says Brinsden.
&gt; Supermarkets are trying to soften the blow by shrinkflation – giving you less product for the same price – but shoppers aren’t stupid. They know a smaller packet of pasta when they see one. “For decades, supermarkets have pushed down prices while giving customers the illusion of ‘cheap food’,” says King. “The reality is that these costs don’t disappear – they show up elsewhere, whether in poor wages for farm workers, declining food quality or damage to our environment.”
&gt; 
&gt; As supplies fall and prices rise, food banks are seeing record demand (Getty)
&gt; 
&gt; He says this is often hidden by what he calls “farmwashing” – “where supermarket branding creates the illusion of small, family-run farms, despite food often being produced on an industrial scale with little transparency on environmental and ethical practices. This lack of transparency disconnects people from the reality of where their food comes from, and many smaller farms are being pushed to the brink.”
&gt; 
&gt; As stocks fall and prices rise, on the other end of the spectrum food banks are seeing record demand, with families struggling to afford even basic essentials. “What continues to be our biggest concern is ensuring we have enough food to meet the ever-growing demand for food support,” says Richard Smith, head of food supply at The Felix Project, a charity that saves surplus food and redistributes it to charities. “Higher food prices mean more people are forced to turn to food banks for help and sadly they are buckling under the pressure.”
&gt; 
&gt; There are growing fears that food shortages could lead to unrest.
&gt; 
&gt; Sounds dramatic, but look at history. When food gets too expensive, people don’t just sit around moaning about it. They protest. They riot. There’s a reason the phrase “bread and circuses” exists – when a government can’t keep its people fed, things get messy.
&gt;

ByGollie

What bullshit! Have you been shopping lately, no shortages whatsoever. Who exactly are you working for with disinformation?

Blearyhyde

Any argument that impacts to instability or conflict. Even if there’s more willingness to provide food aid, conditions on the ground are key to have it reach the right recipients.

CaymanG

Can you please elaborate on what that argument would be?

Remarkable-Animal-23

Another variation of what Remarkable said is that Somaliland’s government can’t afford to distribute the food. On one hand, Somaliland’s government is incompetent and won’t be able to manage the funds. Also, there would be an insane amount of corruption. Also also, how would you distribute that food? Sure Somaliland isn’t as bad as Somalia but it’s still a conflict zone. Also also also, regional powers like competing tribes would fight for the food and cause inter rivalries, eventually leading to divisions. For example, one tribe in the west may be jealous of another tribe and compete for scares food resources, which could lead to secession and conflict.

Sovietz99

I don’t know if this helps, however on we run terrorism, more specifically the return of Al Shabaab, and the US committee on foreign affairs states that they prohibit all aid from entering the countries, so this works on both FDI, and food aid.

happycamperballer

some common responses, including remarkables comment: despite food aid being sent to Somalia, little to none is being given to somililand as either the somali govt. or al-shaabab is preventing distribution. 

Somililands govt isnt incompetent to the point where they cant properly hand out distribution, if somalia can do it, so can somililand. 2nd somililands new prez just introduced a council filled with members from each tribe to settle internal conflicts. and plans on making it fairer for each tribe, but realistically the Issaq makes 80% of the region/population so it makes sense why they are a majority of the govt. 3rd recognition leads to international aid on top of food aid, allowing them to properly form a central banking system, setting up the wealth evenly, and preventing tribal conflicts, as they are due to socioeconomic reasons. (they are definitely not due to ethnic reasons, they aren’t drastically different enough for it to be ethnic battles)

could be wrong, but just like common responses to why food aid is still good. Its a sorta bad stock arg, lotta ways to lose it, I suggest drought

Ok_Wash3068

The 2025 Global Report on Food Crises reveals a severe increase in acute food insecurity, with millions experiencing hunger due to conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability.

Global Food Crisis 2025

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