Families must be urged to stockpile food to survive increasingly severe shocks including extreme weather, cyber attacks and disease, experts warned yesterday.

Short and long-term risks to food supplies were becoming ‘more likely and potentially more severe’, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.

In a report, it urged ministers to work with households and firms to ensure the food supply chain could cope with unexpected events.

The Government has designated food as one of 13 ‘critical national infrastructure’ sectors that are essential for the UK to function.

But the NAO claimed the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which is responsible for the country’s resilience, had done ‘too little in recent years’ to encourage firms and families to prepare for food shortages.

It said households were less prepared for emergencies than those in other countries, and firms had warned that Defra was engaging with them less and was not consulting them on future plans.

The last exercise to test Defra’s readiness for catastrophic events that would disrupt the food supply chain took place in 2023.

The NAO also warned that Defra lacks the legal powers it would need in such an event to direct firms to take emergency action.

Families must be urged to stockpile food to survive increasingly severe shocks including extreme weather, cyber attacks and disease, experts warned yesterday (stock photo)

Referring to Covid and the war in Ukraine, Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: ‘Recent disruptions have shown the resilience of the UK’s food supply chain, but risks are increasing in likelihood and severity. Defra should learn from other countries, and strengthen preparedness for emergencies.’

Farm crops have been devastated by wildfires and drought.

The National Farmers Union has warned that the situation is ‘increasingly concerning’ and dairy farmers are already using winter feed because grass isn’t growing.

Supermarket bosses including Ken Murphy at Tesco and Simon Roberts at Sainsbury’s have called for greater food self-sufficiency.

Defra said: ‘The Prime Minister has made clear that food security is national security.

‘The NAO’s report shows risks to food supplies are becoming more complex. We are working with farmers and the food and drink industry to strengthen the UK’s food security and resilience.’

It added: ‘We will carefully consider the report’s findings and recommendations as part of our ongoing work to build a more resilient, productive and sustainable food system.’