“There are no more tomatoes!” an angry woman in a Tesco supermarket in north-east London. However, my girlfriend called me this morning telling me that there would be some here. In front of her, there are only cherry tomatoes in plastic. The customer leaves with her cart, cursing: she wanted big tomatoes. Between the vegetable bins, an inscription warns: “3 products maximum per customer, so that everyone can have what they need. It concerns, according to an employee of the chain, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
For the past few days, the major retailers in the United Kingdom – five for the moment – ??have been forced to ration certain fruits and vegetables to deal with the panic of consumers reminiscent of the pandemic period. It has become a national joke, in conversations, on social networks, or even in Parliament. Joking aside, the reasons for these shortages, which are likely to last several weeks according to the government, or even several months according to the producers, are multiple and confusing.
The government and supermarkets blame it on bad weather in Spain and Morocco, where most of the fruit and vegetables come from. The UK imports over 90% of its tomatoes and lettuce in winter. However, following a period of drought, Morocco suffered floods this winter while Spain was plunged into the cold. On the Tesco label of Moroccan cherry tomatoes, it says: “Our tomatoes may be paler than usual, but they taste great.” Supermarket executives say there’s not much you can do about “climate change”.
Producers cite, for their part, the explosion in energy prices. In winter, the United Kingdom produces its fruit and vegetables in greenhouses, tomatoes and cucumbers in particular. This year, plantings have been delayed to avoid the cold months, and harvests are smaller. This winter, half of the greenhouses were empty. Inflation also affects fertilizers and transport.
Finally, Brexit is timidly singled out, even if the argument is rejected by the government since Ireland, a member of the European Union, is also facing a shortage of salads. Lack of labor has disrupted the food production chain, despite the introduction of a special visa regime for seasonal workers, deemed too slow by farmers. In addition, the post-Brexit formalities that businesses face in the EU are hampering exports. From January 1, 2024, border controls will be in place, which may further disrupt the supply chain. The government even plans to abolish seasonal visas.
In this context, the National Farmers Union indicates that these shortages are only “the tip of the iceberg”. It calls on the government to review its import-focused food strategy. The horticulture sector, she notes, is not included in the support program for energy-intensive industries. Last Monday, a meeting between the Minister of Agriculture and supermarkets – dubbed ‘Operation Save our Salad’ by the Sun – was denounced by producers who were not associated with it.
Last week, Environment Minister Therese Coffey told the Commons that Britons should, as in the old days, “cherish” seasonal produce like turnips. She also knows that consumers want “year-round choice,” she adds. The minister has been mocked, criticized, parodied. The leader of the Liberal Democrats denounced the “give them turnips” strategy. In reference, according to the media, to the formula that Marie-Antoinette would have pronounced on the brioche in the face of the shortage of bread. Ironically, soon after the minister’s speech, turnips were out of stock in several stores.
Only large supermarkets are affected by the shortages. Contacted, the organization Growing Communities promotes another model, the short circuit. One thousand six hundred Londoners get their supplies from her. “Our members are largely protected from the deficiencies of the dominant system in supermarkets,” explains Kyra Hanson. We avoid sourcing from heated greenhouses and our farmers are not reliant on expensive artificial fertilizers. And then, as we work in close collaboration with them, we adapt our orders in the event of unforeseen events and according to what is available in the fields. But the majority of Britons favor supermarkets, which are ultra-competitive in times of inflation, and do not seem about to change their eating habits.
