Fruit and veg could become unaffordable for many people after no-deal Brexit
Fruit and veg could become unaffordable for many people after no-deal Brexit
Could this be bad news for fruit and veg lovers in the UK? Research suggests that a “no deal Brexit” could lead to higher costs of fruit and vegetables. THis is according to an article released on Metro.co.uk which you can view HERE.
The article states:
Currently, the UK imports around 90% of the fruits and vegetables it consumes and almost half of all meat. If these levels were to decrease, it could lead to the deaths of up to 5,600 people per year by 2027 and cost the NHS an additional £600 million per year, the study suggests.
Most of these additional deaths would be due to cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke, all of which can be linked to a reduced consumption of fruits, vegetables and nuts. If we do not have a deal on trade by March 29, the day we officially leave the EU, then imports are expected to be more expensive, which could cause changes to the diet of millions of people.
The study, conducted by Dr Marco Springmann of the Oxford Martin School, wrote in The Conversation: ‘Brexit is expected to increase trade costs and make food imports more expensive, something that could lead to changes in diets and dietary risk factors that influence health. ‘Foods that are critical for good health would be especially affected.’
‘Given the UK’s import dependence, in particular for fruit and vegetables, any Brexit-related increase in trade costs will make it harder to get hold of foods that are critical components of healthy diets and chronic-disease prevention.
‘Whatever form Brexit might take, our analysis suggests that it will significantly impact the British food system and negatively affect the health and welfare of British citizens.’ The figures were worked out by comparing the forecasts for changes in the food chain with how disease risk is affected by dietary change.
This is not good news for fruit and veg lovers in the UK, many of who already believe prices for fruit and veg are expensive enough as it is.
It particularly interesting to note how connected the consumption of fruits and vegetables are to disease and health care spending. Would it not make sense to try to subsidise these foods for the population?
What are you thoughts? Is this just more scaremongering or are we in for a tough time after Brexit? Feel free to share the post and leave your comments below.
Fruit and veg could become unaffordable for many people after no-deal Brexit Could this be bad news for fruit and veg lovers in the UK? Research suggests that a “no deal Brexit” could lead to higher costs of fruit and vegetables. THis is according to an article released on Metro.co.uk which you can view…