If salad is on the meal plan this weekend, you may be disappointed. The UK is currently facing a major shortage of salad vegetables, including lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. Some fruits like broccoli, cauliflower, and even raspberries are now being rationed by supermarkets. It’s a quick unfolding situation, but it’s important not to panic (and to avoid a repeat of the epidemic toilet paper gate). Here’s how you can keep your high five a day even when the supermarket shelves are dry of fresh vegetables. But first, what exactly is going on? And from the climate crisis to rising energy prices to Brexit, where is the blame?
Can I buy fresh vegetables in the UK now?
At the moment, Tesco, which is the UK’s largest supermarket chain, along with rivals Asda, Morrisons and Aldi, are implementing customer limits on several fresh salad greens. This means that if you go to any of these supermarkets right now, you can only buy three packets of tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers and more. Some varieties are already sold out, and the shelves are looking increasingly empty.
The British Retail Consortium, a trade association for UK retailers, said the disruption to shelves was unlikely to last more than “a few weeks”.
“Supermarkets are adept at managing supply chain issues and working with farmers to ensure customers have access to a wider range of fresh produce,” Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said in a statement. “In the meantime, some stores are introducing temporary limits on the number of products customers can buy to ensure availability for everyone.”
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Who is to blame?
According to the OP, “difficult weather conditions” in Spain and Morocco are responsible for the shortage. During the summer months, British growers produce around half of the tomatoes bought in the UK, in the winter, the country relies on other countries to produce the crop, with around 95 per cent of its tomatoes coming from southern Europe and northern Africa. For example, these regions produce around 90 per cent of the UK’s winter lettuce.
But climate patterns are changing, which is affecting crops. In Spain, the weather is now unusually cold. “Spain is by far our main source of fresh produce over the winter,” says Tim O’Malley who works for Nationwide Produce, one of the UK’s largest produce companies. Fruitnet. “And they often went straight from a red-hot summer to a freezing cold winter with no fall in between.” Freezing temperatures in Morocco, as well as ferry cancellations due to floods and storms, have also affected UK supplies.
Domestic fuel surges have also exacerbated the problem. Greenhouses are vital for crops such as tomatoes in the UK in winter, but are very expensive to heat. Philip Pearson of the British Tomato Growers Association said farmers and growers tried to warn the government, but they were not listened to. “We said as an industry last year: ‘If you don’t support us over the winter, your shelves will be empty,'” he said. guardian. “The government didn’t listen, our customers didn’t listen, nobody listened.”
But there is another factor that could be contributing to the deficit: Brexit. On Twitter, people in Europe are posting pictures of their supermarket aisles filled with fruits and vegetables. But according to BBCIndustry sources said Brexit was “unlikely to be a factor” and that complex supply chains, a price-sensitive market and lower domestic production were likely to be the main reasons behind the shortage.
That said, some dispute this. Ben Lake, an MP for the Welsh political party Plaid Cymru, urged the government and the Labor Party to acknowledge that Brexit had played a role.
“What should have happened from 2016 is for the UK government to build resilience in our food system by becoming more self-sufficient,” he said in a statement. “Dependence on global supply chains for many of our imports means we are vulnerable and exposed to shocks – be they geopolitical, climate, manufacturing or logistical – that are completely beyond our control.”
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How can you still get your five days?
Shortages are likely to ease as the UK growing season kicks into gear. But until then, there are many other ways to get nutritious vegetables into your diet. For example, supermarket shelves are still lined with canned beans, vegetables and fruits. And while fresh tomatoes are limited, there are no restrictions on buying tinned diced tomatoes or boxes of pasta, both of which still count as your five a day.
While it won’t help now, one way to protect yourself in the future is to consider growing your own vegetables (if you have the means and access to a garden or allotment). According to the Royal Horticultural Society, spring and summer are the best times to sow “hardy winter vegetables” such as broccoli, kale, cabbage and leeks in the UK.
But if you can’t get fresh vegetables right away, one of the best things to do is to shop local and support the farmers and ranchers who produce winter vegetables. “Shopping with your local farm shop and greengrocer should be an absolute priority,” says Julie Keeling, who runs a farm shop in Essex, East England. Southend Eco. “It’ll be fresher, last longer, and you’ll be supporting your local community and economy.”
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Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on the south coast of England.