UK has not done enough to prepare for shocks to food supplies, says watchdog

The climate crisis poses a growing risk to the UK’s food supplies, the National Audit Office has warned. Photograph: Matías Basualdo/EPA

The climate crisis, disease and cyber-attacks pose growing risks to the UK’s food supplies and the government needs to act to make the system more resilient, according to the public spending watchdog.

The National Audit Office (NAO) is urging the Department for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) to work more closely with households, communities and businesses to ensure the flow of crucial food into the country can withstand supply shocks that are becoming increasingly common and severe.