watching the second part off the program about slavery

[joe-90]

I read somewhere that the UK would need 2.5 times its land mass to become self sufficient in food. But we'd still need fertilizer from gas, and pesticides and tractor fuel from oil. This is why the UK needs to stay in the EU. If things get tough we can use the massive arable lands of Romania to survive. If we are out of the EU they can simply refuse to sell us food.

 

[jockscott]

If we are out of the EU they can simply refuse to sell us food.

Ahh , we might as well roll over and succumb to Merkel's dictats then.

 

[joe-90]

When you drag them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

 

[JBR]

If we are out of the EU they can simply refuse to sell us food.

Ahh , we might as well roll over and succumb to Merkel's dictats then.

Didn't we once import food from Commonwealth countries, when we were allowed to trade with them, of course?

 

[JBR]

Talking about the EU, I'm just watching a repeat of an old 'Yes Minister' programme. Despite this being shown years ago, they're arguing about the EU and its organisation:
"It has the organising ability of the Italians, the flexibility of the Germans and the modesty of the French. These are topped up by the imagination of the Belgians, the generosity of the Dutch and the intelligence of the Irish."

Never a truer word!

 

[big-all]

I read somewhere that the UK would need 2.5 times its land mass to become self sufficient in food. But we'd still need fertilizer from gas, and pesticides and tractor fuel from oil. This is why the UK needs to stay in the EU. If things get tough we can use the massive arable lands of Romania to survive. If we are out of the EU they can simply refuse to sell us food.

that would be very difficult to quantify
if we eat as is then maybe
feeding an animal uses up around 4 times the goodness in otherwords the goodness off your kilo off beef requires 4 kilos vegetables

 

[JBR]

feeding an animal uses up around 4 times the goodness in otherwords the goodness off your kilo off beef requires 4 kilos vegetables

Ah, but there is also a useful by-product, and that could be offset against the cost of growing the vegetables!

 

[big-all]

i think the 2.5 times may an exagiration
iff we can supply 2/3rd with one britain with spare space
2.5 times would be 167%
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...s-that-could-be-produced-at-home-9574238.html

we actually need to workout what percentage off land area is used for food production before we can work out the space needed then you add 1/3or 33% to that amount
so iff the area used for food production was say 60% you need a further 33% or 20% giving you a total80%

 

[Brigadier]

i think the 2.5 times may an exagiration
iff we can supply 2/3rd with one britain with spare space
2.5 times would be 167%
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...s-that-could-be-produced-at-home-9574238.html

we actually need to workout what percentage off land area is used for food production before we can work out the space needed then you add 1/3or 33% to that amount
so iff the area used for food production was say 60% you need a further 33% or 20% giving you a total80%

Seeing as half the population (at least) are a gasping effigy of Jabba the Hutt, I reckon that the UK could be easily self-sufficient in food production. Just not in the unnecessary quantities that half of them shovel down their gaping pie-holes......

 

[empip]

Perhaps a land tax would remove many of the absent owners who are into the land subsidy - just for owning it - trough.
Subsidies for those producing the goods, ok'ish, just for owning ? No way.
Half or so of the EU budget is funding farm subsidies, how can that lot be more believable than a Grecian budget ?
'Welfare' for the relatively wealthy - no cuts ? The paperhanger's mates ?

-0-

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Are you sure?

We make them from components of natural gas, not oil, to be precise.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Ah, but there is also a useful by-product, and that could be offset against the cost of growing the vegetables!

As far as I am aware the amount would not be enough. Organic agriculture needs a lot more land and labour than 'traditional' chemical based farming. We need fossil fuels to make fertilisers, and to power the machinery that tills the fields and harvests the crops. I read somewhere we need more than an acre per person to be self sufficient. Is there enough land? Bare in mind that a lot of land is national park, or unsuitable.

 

[longdogs]

Maybe we could have been self sufficient at one time or another but of course half the world appear to be living here now so we have to feed them as well.

 

[Belboz]

We could always put the excess people in some sort of camp and get rid of them that way. After all, no-one is going to believe it ever happened a few decades down the line...

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

We could always put the excess people in some sort of camp and get rid of them that way. After all, no-one is going to believe it ever happened a few decades down the line...

I like your thinking. The 'organic residues' and waste would make a good fertiliser too. It's a win win situation.