Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Food shortage pinched Brits more than EU residents

Food shortage in UK
(Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images )
Getty Images

Supply chain crisis-induced food shortage has pinched Britons much more than their EU and US counterparts, suggests a recent survey.

According to a new YouGov poll, UK residents were multiple times more likely to have experienced, or know people who have experienced, food shortages compared to people in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Denmark.


Asked in early December whether they had personally experienced any scarcity of foodstuffs in recent weeks, 56 per cent of respondents in the UK said yes, while 9 per cent said they had not personally experienced any but knew people who had.

The corresponding figures in EU were between three and nine times lower- 18 per cent in Germany, 16 per cent in France, 12 per cent in Sweden, 8 per cent in Denmark, 7 per cent and 6 per cent in Italy.

About 58 per cent of respondents said they were not even aware that supply chain problems had led to food shortages as compared to just 11 per cent of Britons who claimed the same.

The UK was also the only country where substantial numbers of people said they had experienced fuel shortages in recent weeks, since the crisis in September and October. One in three Britons (33 per cent) said they had personally experienced a recent scarcity of fuel, compared with no more than 10 per cent in any other country.

The news comes as farmers have criticised the government for failing to listen to their warnings, after it was announced the number of seasonal worker visas would not increase next year.

More for you

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sybren Attema, and Betty Eekchaut

Presidents Sybren Attema, FrieslandCampina, and Betty Eekchaut, Milcobel

Yazoo parent FrieslandCampina announces merger with Belgian rival Milcobel

Dutch dairy collective FrieslandCampina has agreed to merge with smaller Belgian rival Milcobel, creating a leading dairy cooperative.

FrieslandCampina, whose brands include Yazoo and Chocomel, said the merger will provide the foundation for a future-oriented organisation that has dairy front and centre for member dairy farmers, employees, consumers, and customers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail Shoplifting. Man Stealing In Supermarket
Photo: iStock

Home Office reaffirms commitment to abolish £200 shoplifting threshold

The UK government has pledged stronger measures to combat anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, which it acknowledges as serious crimes that disrupt communities and harm businesses.

Addressing a House of Lords debate on Monday, Home Office minister Lord Hanson detailed plans to abolish the controversial £200 shoplifting threshold and to introduce a new offence for assaults on retail workers.

Keep ReadingShow less
post office store
Photo: Post Office Ltd

Post Office launches wellbeing hub to support postmasters amid rising retail crime

In response to the mounting pressures faced by postmasters across the UK, the Post Office has unveiled a centralised wellbeing platform aimed at simplifying access to support resources.

Post Office said the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents, documented in the 2024 ACS Crime Report, has only intensified the demand for comprehensive support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira
iStock

Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira

Independent retailers have weathered one of their most challenging years in 2024, with multiple headwinds affecting the sector, according to the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira).

With pressures mounting throughout the year, independent retailers have faced an increasingly difficult trading environment marked by changing consumer behaviour and economic uncertainties.

Keep ReadingShow less