The Economist’s Daily Chart explores Britain’s food supply chain, saying the Covid pandemic disrupted businesses across the entire British economy, and perhaps none more so than food producers’.
As a lockdown was imposed in March, they were immediately hit with critical labour shortages and reduced transport capacity, as well as huge swings in demand.
With the flick of a switch, billions of pounds (and calories) were diverted from restaurants to retail. In a month, the grocery sector grew by 11%. Part one of the “National Food Strategy”, a government-commissioned review of Britain’s food system, published in July, offers an account of how the country handled the shock.
