The
steps Britain needs to take to overcome a food crisis before it's too
late.
Part
3
Agricultural
Assets
In
time of economic downturn, a country must assure sufficient supplies
of alimentary produce for all its citizens. It is unlikely the
British Government has taken such steps, hence the need to require an
urgent review of economic strategy and the introduction of tangible
community assets guaranteeing sustenance and survival.
British
Party proposes the introduction of community farm assets under the
supervision of Local Government at district and county level. These
farm estates would certainly not be competing with free enterprise
farming, but would assure a reserve of agricultural produce, to be
stored in safe places and used in time of need to prevent hunger and
malnutrition should a food shortage become manifest in Britain.
People
should be generally aware by now that paper assets, often considered
volatile and founded upon the criteria of speculation, do not offer a
guarantee for survival, but rather participate in the financial
collapse of an economy, indeed of many economies worldwide.
What
would the authorities offer us in time of hunger? Would it be
worthless shares? Or Government bonds accounting for £1 trillion
of Public Debt?
Or perhaps hedge funds? How's about printed money? Or maybe a list of all private debts held – and owed – in Britain?
None
of this would help anyone, not even if it were bundles of twenty
pound notes, once the shelves were to become void of comestibles.
What
we need is a reserve of agricultural land where crops are grown,
fruit trees are planted and herds of cattle graze, to supplement the
existing farms, and assure a sufficient food surplus in hard times.
Indeed, anything less than this may be considered the height of
insanity within the economy.
Administering
Agricultural Assets
Each
county in Britain should ensure a sufficient number of vacant
plots of land is set aside for community farms where the produce is
then processed and stored as an asset. Each of these farm estates
would have either fruit orchards, cattle, or vegetable and grain crops.
The produce would then be processed and preserved with specific
expiry dates.
Preservation
of agricultural produce can come about in various ways, often even
without the addition of artificial preservatives. Food produce that
has been adequately stored in a state of conservation may last months
or years, depending on the product and the form of packaging, and on
the methods used to conserve it, as well as on the chosen form of
ideal storage.
Fresh
food may also be grown continually, even in times of floods or
drought, by using greenhouses or assuring a constant system of
irrigation. Greenhouses can protect a crop from bad weather,
including frost, hail and rain, and generally allow for intensive
crop production in a relatively limited space. They need to be resistant structures capable of sustaining gale force wind.
Irrigation
during dry weather demands a system of water pumps, pipes and
sprinklers, and also a secure water source, including a sufficiently
stocked reservoir.
So long as a farm estate has access to all the required facilities necessary in
order to make it function even in adverse conditions, it will
undoubtedly be a valid asset offering sustenance even during a
drought, a flood or an economic crisis of other origin. This economic
asset will also provide paid employment and experience to local
people. Once the estate is up and running, a part of the produce
could be used to substitute imports of food from other countries, or
even exported, thereby reducing the trade deficit. However, some of
it would need to be stored as a local and national reserve, to be
made available in time of need.
Written by D. Alexander
Part 1: Emergency Response to Food Shortage, floods and drought
http://celticbritannia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/british-party-emergency-response-to.html
Part 2: Looming Food Shortage in Britain, financial crash
http://celticbritannia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/british-party-looming-food-shortage-in.html
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