Hard Brexit: Will The UK Be Able To Feed Itself?

Most Western countries don't have to think too much about their level of food self-sufficiency. Established trade relationships with countries around the world mean that any deficit at home can be easily, swiftly, and usually cheaply compensated via imports. For the UK though, currently facing the very real prospect of a hard or no deal Brexit, complications in trading with the EU and other countries, coupled with vastly increased customs processing times, could lead to shortages, the National Farmers' Union has warned.

Currently, the UK produces only 60 percent of the food it needs to feed the population domestically. As our infographic shows, this is a marked decrease on the level of 74 percent seen in 1987. Food is of course not the only sector which could face shortages. Pharmacists warned this week that they are already experiencing a surge in shortages of common medicines, coupled with "vastly increased" prices.