Authorities warn Australians to brace for food crisis as extreme weather events and geopolitical conflict hit global supply chain
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Australia is ill-prepared for a food crisis that is being exacerbated by the worsening effects of climate change and growing geopolitical unrest, according to a new report.
The Australian Security Leaders Climate Group predicts that crop production will decline by 2040 due to the effects of extreme heatwaves and sea-level rise, leading to "enormous consequences" for the nation's food supply.
The report urges the government to take action to prepare for the looming crisis, warning that the nation's supply chain will be impacted, tensions will escalate and the need for disaster relief will grow.
With the country already feeling the effects of climate change, it is imperative that the government takes steps to mitigate the damage and protect the Australian people from the worst of the impending crisis.
Australia is no stranger to extreme weather events, but as the global climate crisis continues, these events are becoming more and more frequent. And not only are they more frequent, but they're also more intense.
This year, east coast farmers have battled major floods, and the country has experienced an unseasonably cold start to the season. These events have had a major impact on food production, leading to empty shelves at supermarkets and rising prices.
External factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war and climate change have disrupted the global supply chain, making the economy vulnerable to continuing inflation. Credit: AP.
Keeping this in mind, Australians have already taken to social media to report that supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths are currently in short supply of eggs.
Australians have taken to social media to report that supermarket shelves are being “stripped bare” of eggs. Credit: Twitter.
“This was the egg section at Coles today,” one Coles customer posted alongside a photo of the "bare" egg section of their local store on Twitter.
“These are not supply chain issues, this is something else. Yet they are still blaming COVID for stuff like this.”
Another person wrote: “Anyone knows what’s going on with eggs atm? Online shopping has no eggs, my big local Woolworths - has no eggs. I can live without them but why the shortage?"
A Woolworths spokesperson addressed the concerns raised by shoppers, explaining the reason behind the shortage of egg supplies.
“The market-wide supply of locally produced eggs in some regions have recently been impacted by reduced production on a number of farms,” the spokesperson remarked.
“While we continue to deliver eggs to our stores regularly, customers may notice reduced availability at the moment and we thank them for their patience and understanding."
“We’re in close contact with our suppliers and are working to increase the availability of eggs in stores as soon as possible.”
It should be noted that 100 per cent of the eggs being sold at Woolworths are Australian sourced, meaning the shortage was a result of domestic production.
The Australian Defence Force and other disaster relief agencies are under immense pressure to keep up with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. And with the global response to climate change being woefully inadequate, the situation is only going to get worse.
The federal government is also poised to make climate change a key focus of the upcoming federal budget, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledging to instigate a "threat assessment" to examine how the phenomenon will impact food, water and supply chains.
It's clear that something needs to be done about the climate crisis, and Australia must play its part in finding a solution. Otherwise, we're going to see more extreme weather events, more empty shelves, and more families struggling to make ends meet.
What are your thoughts on this? Better yet, what do you think should the government do to mitigate the impacts of climate change on our food supply chain? Let us know your insights in the comments below.
The Australian Security Leaders Climate Group predicts that crop production will decline by 2040 due to the effects of extreme heatwaves and sea-level rise, leading to "enormous consequences" for the nation's food supply.
The report urges the government to take action to prepare for the looming crisis, warning that the nation's supply chain will be impacted, tensions will escalate and the need for disaster relief will grow.
With the country already feeling the effects of climate change, it is imperative that the government takes steps to mitigate the damage and protect the Australian people from the worst of the impending crisis.
Australia is no stranger to extreme weather events, but as the global climate crisis continues, these events are becoming more and more frequent. And not only are they more frequent, but they're also more intense.
This year, east coast farmers have battled major floods, and the country has experienced an unseasonably cold start to the season. These events have had a major impact on food production, leading to empty shelves at supermarkets and rising prices.
External factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war and climate change have disrupted the global supply chain, making the economy vulnerable to continuing inflation. Credit: AP.
Keeping this in mind, Australians have already taken to social media to report that supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths are currently in short supply of eggs.
Australians have taken to social media to report that supermarket shelves are being “stripped bare” of eggs. Credit: Twitter.
“This was the egg section at Coles today,” one Coles customer posted alongside a photo of the "bare" egg section of their local store on Twitter.
“These are not supply chain issues, this is something else. Yet they are still blaming COVID for stuff like this.”
Another person wrote: “Anyone knows what’s going on with eggs atm? Online shopping has no eggs, my big local Woolworths - has no eggs. I can live without them but why the shortage?"
A Woolworths spokesperson addressed the concerns raised by shoppers, explaining the reason behind the shortage of egg supplies.
“The market-wide supply of locally produced eggs in some regions have recently been impacted by reduced production on a number of farms,” the spokesperson remarked.
“While we continue to deliver eggs to our stores regularly, customers may notice reduced availability at the moment and we thank them for their patience and understanding."
“We’re in close contact with our suppliers and are working to increase the availability of eggs in stores as soon as possible.”
It should be noted that 100 per cent of the eggs being sold at Woolworths are Australian sourced, meaning the shortage was a result of domestic production.
The Australian Defence Force and other disaster relief agencies are under immense pressure to keep up with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. And with the global response to climate change being woefully inadequate, the situation is only going to get worse.
The federal government is also poised to make climate change a key focus of the upcoming federal budget, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledging to instigate a "threat assessment" to examine how the phenomenon will impact food, water and supply chains.
It's clear that something needs to be done about the climate crisis, and Australia must play its part in finding a solution. Otherwise, we're going to see more extreme weather events, more empty shelves, and more families struggling to make ends meet.
What are your thoughts on this? Better yet, what do you think should the government do to mitigate the impacts of climate change on our food supply chain? Let us know your insights in the comments below.
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