British experts warn world food system could collapse without urgent action

The world's food system is fracturing under the weight of biodiversity loss, climate shocks, and escalating geopolitical conflicts, experts have warned.

These chronic pressures on the intricate global network pose a significant threat to the world economy, society, and even human survival, according to a new report spearheaded by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), ‘The Independent’ writes.

Researchers highlighted that issues such as soil degradation and water scarcity have already resulted in diminished crop yields, elevated prices, and reduced availability in recent years.

This precarious situation is now being exacerbated by geopolitical instability, with the US-Israeli war on Iran cited as a further example exposing the fragility of food security as supply chain disruptions continue to drive up costs.

In the UK, farmers have faced billions in losses due to droughts and floods, while households have grappled with soaring food price inflation.

The report, referencing other studies, suggests that civil unrest in the UK, stemming from a food system crisis, could become a reality within the next 10 to 50 years.

Beyond this, the report found that long-term food security is also under threat as key ecosystems approach irreversible tipping points.

Large-scale deforestation, particularly in the Amazon rainforest, is increasingly disrupting the rainfall and carbon cycles that are essential for stable crop yields.

The decline in pollinators, which underpin around three quarters of global crop production, will continue to hit food production.

And overfishing, pollution and climate change are pushing marine ecosystems past critical thresholds, which could lead to a collapse in fish populations.

It comes after a recent Government report, which was put together by the intelligence officials, found biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse is a realistic possibility that could trigger a global competition for food, mass migration to the UK and nuclear war in Asia.

The researchers say Governments, regulators and the financial sector must act urgently to integrate nature into decision-making to safeguard the world’s food systems.

Meanwhile, actuaries and the financial sector should acknowledge food system fragility as a systemic financial risk, with impacts far greater than the contribution of agriculture to gross domestic product (GDP).

Sandy Trust, lead author of the report, said events in the Gulf region “pose a significantly greater risk to global food security” than the energy crisis.

“We must incorporate biodiversity and climate change into financial decision making, to align our financial portfolios with planetary boundaries.”

...This is a highly complex analysis of the situation.

The British authors openly link issues of both food security and climate protection to distortions in the global financial system. They write directly: “We must incorporate biodiversity and climate change into financial decision making…”

It means that they indirectly confirm the theory that the dominance of the financial system over both production and the daily life of humanity — a system focused solely on profit — requires a reassessment.

They haven't yet uttered the word “revision,” but the place and influence of the current global financial system demand a reconsideration of its significance and impact on the lives of people around the World.

The British have recognized this need and spoken first. Who will continue?

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