Comment by rob_c | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rob_c | Hacker News Reader

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No they should really really be discussing things like this.

This is like trying to claim bioethanol is somehow carbon negative.

It's broken from a farming standpoint (and we're a nation starting to face issues with production. Notice how I say starting not we're starving there's several world's of different yet)

It's broken from an economic standpoint because you're going to try and take on the whole of Asia who could crush you in a single shipment.

It's broken from a mindset perspective. British wine may be one that grabs interest over here like British vodka. But people will not pay 10x or more for British rice. It will be seen as a stupid concept or idea.

It's broken because again... Who in Britain is clamouring for more rice options? This is a product type which is already over saturated at the normal supermarket, let alone the choices when you're willing to shop online.

If there's no discouragement to projects like this idiots will run the land into ruin, lose a lot of money. Drive away needed capital from farms looking to turn around their fortunes and damage the sector.

I'm not saying British farms are about to collapse and we're all about to starve here, but the sector is struggling.

> But people will not pay 10x or more for British rice.

Unless and until it's the only carbohydrate source available due to some global war or disaster. All countries should be aiming for domestic food security and diversity.

And fuel diversity. And manufacturing diversity. And mineral extraction diversity. And so on and on. But at which point this becomes ridiculous?

The UK Energy Security Plan does at least try to cover essential energy needs (food production, hospitals, defence, civil powers and authorities, etc) indefinitely from domestic supply.

The Defence Industrial Strategy does the same for essential manufacturing capabilities.

Raw material supply security is the purview of many government bodies, including MOD, BGS, and more.

> But at which point this becomes ridiculous?

Securing the food supply to your population, the absolute most basic of human needs along with the water and shelter, is the furthest thing from ridiculous.

> British

> domestic food security and diversity.

Aside from switzerland who else is so well placed for this in geographical Europe?

ITS AN ISLAND

Britain can't feed itself. Blockade is the greatest threat to Britain.

Most EU countries can feed feed themselves.

I've got a lovely bridge to sell you, only slightly used...

Please educate yourself because that statement is just factually incorrect. That's not a talking point, that's just wrong.

I am a former knowledgeable CBRN person and sat on advisory panels for my own countries energy, food, and medical security policies, so while certainly not a food security expert, I probably have more exposure than most to the food security challenges of island nations in the East Atlantic.

Great Britain, which excludes NI, has a roughly 60% calorie self-sufficiency ratio and quite literally cannot feed itself without imports.

Ireland and Northern Ireland can many times over, in principle even if spare parts and fuel were blockaded, although it would be an uninspiring diet.

I am certainly open to further education as this area interests me and my country is woefully unprepared for any interruption to global supply chains, especially in relation to fuel and medical supplies, so I continue to make policy submissions in this area.

No.

That's comparing production means today with an inflated population due to uncontrolled migration. (Main confronting factor to pop growth in last few years so can't be avoided as topic).

Comparing blockade numbers to peace time production is a false equivalency.

Am I saying there won't be unrest no, but you just started a scenario by blockading Britain. If you think we don't produce enough food, it's about the only thing we actual do produce here other than empty city promises and patents. The country would eat itself before the means of food production hits the top 5 of our problems if honestly bet.

The country has capacity to engage in intensive farming of several means which we currently do not because of animal rights concerns, lack of manpower etc. In a blockade scenario animal rights go out the window to a starving populace. Food waste is addressed in several means and we start engaging in battery farming and crop yields yes move to calorific content vs serving the Ritz their flav d'jour.

And let's not pretend NI is included under any sensible scenario other than the British military blockading and subsuming control of RoI. There's no scenario where a blockade of Britain as an island would leave us "struggling to feed NI with RoI being supported by the European block" as another absolutist.

> The country has capacity to engage in intensive farming of several means which we currently do not because of animal rights concerns, lack of manpower etc. In a blockade scenario animal rights go out the window to a starving populace. Food waste is addressed in several means and we start engaging in battery farming and crop yields yes move to calorific content vs serving the Ritz their flav d'jour.

Not to be rude, but your Government, MOD, and think-tanks disagree with you. The latent capacity of UK agriculture is estimated to be able to feed approximately 80-90% of the population, which for context is similar to the amount of food available (including external aid) in South Sudan now.

> And let's not pretend NI is included under any sensible scenario other than the British military blockading and subsuming control of RoI. There's no scenario where a blockade of Britain as an island would leave us "struggling to feed NI with RoI being supported by the European block" as another absolutist.

The UK does not have the ability to militarily conquer Ireland, let alone survive the consequences, so this is, well, delusional.

I honestly do not think you are well informed enough to form a valid opinion on this topic, which explains your reactive and emotion-driven comments

80%+ at peace time. I.e. not with mandated farming practices and not with a national focus as part of priority to fix this.

Unlike the Sudan we don't produce the remaining 15%+/-5 because we're a wealthy nation and can engage and have become semi-reliant a little on trade. And our tastes have changed as a result of the availability of luxury goods. This is wildly different to not having capacity or infrastructure which can be tweaked. (I'm not saying magically tonnes of milk and honey appear from nowhere) And this is ignoring the scary word of rationing.

Sudan either can't, won't or is constrained from producing the missing part of the food required to feed their people. But that's more linked to US foreign policy than this hypothetical discussion otherwise.

Edit in not even touching RoI vs UK army. I'm not pretending any show down would be bloodless, but the UK has a few plain numerical overwhelming superiorities. Again stating simple facts.

> 80%+ at peace time.

No, in any time, as is the definition of latent capacity.

> Edit in not even touching RoI vs UK army. I'm not pretending any show down would be bloodless, but the UK has a few plain numerical overwhelming superiorities. Again stating simple facts.

The Cold War British Armed Forces were unable to hold the farmland of Northern Ireland against 3,000 members of PIRA, let alone the current forces against the island now. Those are the facts in the history books.

You are delusional, living in a worldview that never matched reality and diverges more each day.

Latent capacity of system as it stands.

Changes mean things change!

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