LONDON, June 8: Most people in the United Kingdom, or 76 per cent, are concerned about rising food prices, the government’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.
“The cost of food is now a major future concern for three out of four (76 per cent) UK consumers,” the agency said in a study on Tuesday.
According to the research, the number of people who use food banks or charities continues to rise, from 9 per cent in March 2021 to 15 per cent in March 2022. The agency added that one in five Britons say they skip meals or reduce their portion size because they do not have enough money to buy groceries.
“Food banks can be a trusted lifeline in the short term, but governments and regulators must also look more widely at other ways to enable people to reliably access safe and healthy food in the long term,” FSA Chair Susan Jebb added.
The study is based on data from three polls conducted by Ipsos, including surveys to track shopping behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic and consumer opinions on food issues, as well as a weekly consumer survey on CO2 deficiency. About 2,000 people aged from 16 to 75 living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland participated in each poll.
World leaders and international organizations have been raising concerns over an imminent and large-scale food crisis since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, citing disruptions in supply chains, rising prices and derailed crops production in one of the largest gain producers in the world. Ukraine and Russia account for an estimated 30 per cent of global exports of wheat, 20 per cent of maize, and 76 per cent of sunflower.
(UNI)
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