Vegans should be given 'special' food rations if disaster strikes Britain, woke scientist claims
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But Britain's no-nonsense rationing system could look very different in the 21st century.
Tim Lang, a professor of food policy at the University of London, thinks vegans, vegetarians and certain religious groups should receive special food rations if disaster strikes Britain.
Speaking at the Hay Festival in Wales on Sunday, people with such special diets will need to eat food they're familiar with in the event of 'psychological shock'.
'They have just experienced a lot of things – explosions, energy outage or whatever it is,' he told Hay Festival in Wales, as quoted by the Telegraph.
'You want them to have things that they know they can eat.
'You don't want people used to a halal diet to eat a non-halal diet, for example, or vegetarians and vegans to have to eat meat.
'You've got to have some flexibility about what is normal now. It's very different to 1940,' he said.
Tim Lang, emeritus professor of food policy at the University of London, says vegans, vegetarians and Muslims should receive special food rations in the event of a disaster
In the near future, devastating events will keep people trapped inside their homes for days, or put a halt to national food supplies , some experts fear. Such a scenario could come about from flooding, fires, a new health pandemic, a nuclear war or even a cyberattack – meaning stockpiling may become essential (file photo)
In the days of the Second World War, food allowances included the likes of bacon, ham, butter and cheese (file photo from the 1940s)
In the near future, devastating events will keep people trapped inside their homes for days, or put a halt to national food supplies, some experts fear.
Such a scenario could come about from flooding, fires, a new health pandemic, a nuclear war or even a cyberattack – meaning stockpiling may become essential.
And the Covid pandemic, which led to stockpiling and widespread supermarket shortages five years ago, could just be a glimpse of what's to come.
In the event of a cyberattack targeting retailers, for example, Professor Lang shared his concerns that a select group of companies control the majority of commercially-bought food in the country, like Sainsbury's and Tesco.
The expert is an adviser to the National Preparedness Commission, an emergency planning committee set up in the wake of the pandemic.
'Britain feeds itself from nine companies who account for 94.5 per cent of all food purchased,' Professor Lang told the Hay Festival audience.
'Those companies are very competitive, very powerful, they control long supply chains which have all been managed in an increasingly integrated way.'
Britain's food system, he added, is geared towards getting rid of 'storage' (where unperishable supplies are built up as a reserve for the nation).
It's only been five years since the Covid pandemic led to stockpiling and supermarket shortages. Pictured, empty shelves where toilet roll is usually stocked in an Asda store in Clapham Junction, London, March 7, 2020
Some Marks & Spencer stores have been left with empty shelves due to a cyber attack affecting its operations. Pictured, M&S in Paddington, London, April 29, 2025
Catastrophic events could leave people trapped inside their homes. Pictured, wildfire in Maricopa County, Arizona, May 19, 2024
'They go literally from the farm through to that point when you buy it in the supermarket, and your bill is re-ordering the food,' he said.
Professor Lang also pointed to the cyberattack on Marks and Spencer, which left some of its stores with empty shelves for certain items. He said: 'What if it had been Tesco, not M&S? Tesco sells nearly a third of all food. If that goes down...'
A year ago, British households were urged to stockpile three days' worth of food and water to help build national 'resilience' in the event of such a crisis.
Government had published a new website (prepare.campaign.gov.uk) urging people to think about how they'd prepare for an emergency, like a flood, fire or power cut – an initiative spearheaded by former Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden.
The site links to a printable 'household emergency plan' that includes its list of 'emergency supplies' such as bottled water, a wind-up torch, wet wipes, non-perishable food, a first aid kit and spare batteries.
It also advises people to 'consider what supplies you and your household might need during an emergency lasting a few days', but Professor Lang said the official government advice 'made me tear what hair I had out'.
'We need to think very carefully about what sort of food in what sort of circumstances,' he said. 'Can you cook? Maybe the electricity system has just gone. Let’s think through the detail.'
Former Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden (pictured) last year advised people to make contingency plans for dealing with potential emergencies such as prolonged power cuts, cyber attacks and floods
Oliver Dowden, a Member of Parliament for Hertsmere, had been inspired by similar preparations in countries such as Finland.
The Nordic country expects households to be able to cope for 72 hours in situations where 'society's services are disrupted or even discontinued'.
Finns are encouraged to stockpile food and water and be prepared to 'shelter indoors' by taping up gaps in windows and 'waiting calmly for instructions' on the radio.
Professor Lang cited other European countries like Germany and Switzerland, which are 'getting into the minutiae about different diets, different ethnicities, different income groups and so on'.
Crisis planning should take into account what certain people eat, he said, adding: 'What are your fears? What are your habits? What are you used to? What do you consider ‘normal’ food?'
In the Second World War, basic foodstuffs such as sugar, meat, fats, bacon and cheese were directly rationed by an allowance of coupons.
But the academic said: 'Now, Britain’s favourite food for children is pizza. It’s a different world today.'
