How concerned is everyone over the potential for food shortages or rationing?

[NickB79]

Just curious, given the blows the US agricultural sector has been taking from the pandemic as of late, and the very likely risk of a second and third wave as the year progresses.

[msongs]

1. not too much. don't eat meat tho nt

[pnwest]

2. It's starting to be a small blip on my worry radar.

Got no big freezer tho, so not much I can do about it, advance planning-wise...I may

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Everything Needs To Be Considered

But, this is very low on my list of concerns.
Outside of meat, food processing plants are HIGHLY automated and run on closed networks.
A few cameras, temporary network lines to the empty offices of admin people working from home and you could make processing, cooking, packaging, and casing very safe.
It's not how they do it now, but it would be a moderate cost improvement.
Livestock processing is different, but I believe those packing plants simply didn't react & look for protective measures. It would have cheaper to go to slower throughput, keep workers farther apart, and safe than it's going to cost to do shutdown & cold boot.
The problem in the food industry isn't that they can't create a safe operating environment. It's that they didn't try until it was too late.

[In_The_Wind]

4. I'm worried.

The grocery store shelves look somewhat better but I still worry about our future.

[Initech]

5. Yeah very concerned.

I saw a package of meat that I had bought recently, the package said "Smithfield, WI" in huge letters on the package. I live in California. So that definitely worries me a lot.

[Totally Tunsie]

32. The Smithfield bacon was piled high at the market today.

Every other brand was completely wiped out. No buyers for Smithfield products for right now, so they might as well be shut down.

[ecstatic]

6. The more trump & rethug governors mishandle things, the more concerned

I'm becoming. If the front line/essential workers (including power plant workers, etc) are depleted, what then?

[Ferrets are Cool]

7. Yes, it is on my radar. If staple foods are difficult to come by,

things will go south quickly.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Starting to think more about it.

[The Blue Flower]

9. I'm concerned about a labor shortage in the fields

I'm planning on growing beans and potatoes in my yard for the first time.

[ananda]

10. Very.

It's going to be bad, especially for people who
depend on food aid.

[Brainfodder]

11. Since we are "reducing #'s" still, I'm not yet concerned about that?

[if..fish..had..wings]

12. Very much

I do a lot of food preservation, canning mostly. Also we have several small farm coops nearby. Also we grow a bit of our own food. And we live in farm country.

I am extremely worried about food shortages. I see very bad days coming. I had thought the virus (and our reaction to it) would resolve by the beginning of summer. I no longer believe this.

I think we are going to have a large spike in infections and deaths in the next four weeks and the economy is going to begin to falter, serious falter.

If there is violence, and I strongly suspect there will be, then anything can happen. Remember, Trump is not competent to handle the pandemic, it is not going to go away, he cannot pass control to anyone else as that would make him "weak" and he cannot allow that. And his followers will never believe he has done anything wrong, even as they die.

I think things are going to get very very bad.

(I hope I am wrong)

[procon]

13. I had a nagging concern due to the breakdown in

logistics with shipping and trucking. However, now that Trump, in his idiot wisdom, has shut down the borders, where is the agricultural industry going to find enough cheap labor to work the food growing farms?

Demand is down everywhere as restaurants aren't open. People don't want to go to the supermarket where shortages make shopping a frustrating hunt for substitutes.

Prices keep going up and that will also lead to increased shortages as poor people (who got their food subsidies cut by Trump) can't afford to buy enough food.

I'm worried now, thanks to Trump and his incompetence.

[totodeinhere]

17. I'm no fan of Trump. In fact I loath him. But to your specific point, his immigration ban excluded

agricultural workers.

[Retrograde]

31. Worries about trucking and shipping????

With Mrs. Mitch in charge of the Dept. of Transportation?? Of course everything will work just fine

[Marrah_Goodman]

14. More worried about the societal breakdown if there are food shortages

[totodeinhere]

15. There might be shortages of a few specific items, but I doubt if it will get to the point where

there is not enough food to eat. For instance, my local market was out of bacon but they had ham. We might see that sort of thing.

[FarPoint]

16. I am concerned and preparing..

I have a full upright freezer... about 20 pounds of various Flour, canned goods.. My concern...eggs...My daughter has chickens, only 5.. just 1 year old so eggs are plenty enough now but won't have any in winter...We have raised beds for garden and I know how to do home canning....I have a good job as an Infusion RN...in demand.

[MissB]

25. Might want to get more

chickens if she can have more.

Also she can add light to their hen house at night as we start to lose daylight. If I remember correctly, they need 14 hours of daylight to produce eggs.

Note that it’ll burn them out quicker. Generally the first years won’t molt until their second year. If she got them last summer, they may molt in October and egg production will plummet.

[FarPoint]

38. She got the baby chicks 1 year ago last Easter...

She follows that " Fresh Eggs Daily" Blog, has her book...eggs were small last year but plenty...G-kids love caring for the chickens...The G-kids also help with gardening...ages 3 and 5.

[Totally Tunsie]

35. Have you considered freezing them? They're good for a year.

Stock up while you can get them!

https://www.momables.com/how-to-freeze-eggs/

https://www.incredibleegg.org/eggcyclopedia/f/freezing-eggs/

[FarPoint]

39. Ohhhh great!

Freezing them is definitely a plan for me! I'm thrilled.

[Totally Tunsie]

40. Glad that works out for you!

I haven't tried it myself, but I recall a TV chef - Rachel Ray (?) - stating that eggs freeze very successfully. She placed two whole eggs into a sandwich-size baggie and gently squeezed out any excess air.

Sounds like you have a wonderful set-up at your home, especially the home canning.

[FarPoint]

41. Thank you...

I will be exploring this option..

[Blasphemer]

18. I am concerned because of the inconsistency in policies across states...

If we had a strong and consistent national policy and this wasn't being politicized by the Rs, I wouldn't be worried. However, with the way things are happening, I am deeply concerned and am watching things closely.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

19. Not very.

I live alone and don't need a lot of food. I'm somewhat stocking up. Today I did a grocery run and got food for the next two or more weeks. I'll need to go to a store to supplement a bit, but if it came to that, I'd be fine for several weeks.

Some things did seem a bit more expensive than before, but since I don't track prices very closely, it's hard for me to tell.

Rationing could actually be a very good thing, as it would keep people from hoarding.

[Wounded Bear]

20. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give a 3 or so...

I wouldn't be surprised by shortages, but I'm not expecting really major problems.

[tblue37]

21. I am. nt

[Jamastiene]

22. The most of all.

That has been what I have been most worried about since the beginning. Local grocery stores where I live have been pitiful since the order started to stay home. I am beginning to wonder if this is it. Is this our new normal? Even The Walking Dead's sets for grocery stores and other places are fuller as far as supplies go. I'm most worried about the food right now.

[Baitball Blogger]

23. There might be shortages.

But I have confidence that we'll keep the food supply line open, because it's the only business in America that has any growth potential on Wall Street.

[Newest Reality]

24. Very concerned.

We have a JIT, (just in time) system of distribution. When a shortage comes on anything, it will come quickly, that is, unless there is an anticipation of a supply chain break and then the panic buying will take care of what is left.

We are seeing the potential for some major systemic and cascading failures along the way. There is no fat in the system, (much in the way of storage) because: profit.

For instance, major shortages of C02 gas have started and supplies are projected to decrease to about 30% of the norm. Now, you don't think about it much, but it is used in many industries and two of them are water filtration plants and beer/soda. That's only one of the many factors that indicate some major breaks or delays in the vast, complex, interconnected system of food, materials, supplies and the rest. One thing connects with another.

An example, is, think about how many parts go in a car when it is assembled. If a few parts are not available, there goes the production line. Everything has to be ready on the assembly line. Now, apply that to what you need and buy everyday.

There are also predictions of potential global famine ahead because of short supplies. We may not get it that bad here, but I would say we are going to see some big hits shortly and that also means potentially skyrocketing prices due to supply and demand.

Yes, I am very concerned. Cascading system failures are in the mix due to the above and the fact that Neo-Liberal economics make us far more vulnerable in a crisis due to lack of backups and storage. Everyone knows you should save for a rainy day and that applies to everything.

[smirkymonkey]

26. I am quite concerned.

Mostly because I don't have a capacity to store a lot of food. Very little freezer and cupboard space and having a hard time finding delivery slots. I have been nervous about actually going to a grocery store, but will do it if it becomes necessary. I have ordered take out a few times and that's always a backup option, but I am still worried about supply chain issues.

Fortunately, I am eating a lot less. I'm just not as hungry as I normally would be if I was going to work every day.

[MissB]

27. I've stored a lot.

I’m pretty concerned.

I’ve mentioned elsewhere that I grow food kinda all over my half acre. Still not enough to feed Dh and I. It’ll offset the fresh veggies needed for the summer which will extend what I have stored.

[jimfields33]

28. I was until I went to Publix today and they were full of meats and other foods

Still no toilet paper though.

[Ilsa]

29. Chicken had disappeared from my Costco the other day.

There was a run on it after the announcement about Tyson.

[EllieBC]

34. There was an outbreak at a chicken processing plant in Vancouver.

There’s no chicken in any of the 3 grocery stores I visit now.

This is about to get much worse.

[ooky]

30. More concerned than Susan Collins.

Spot shortages I believe are inevitable. Supply chain interruptions wherever an outbreak pops up may reduce supply of many items.

[DFW]

43. More concerned than Susan Collins?

In other words, on a scale of 1-100, that would be about ¼.

[EllieBC]

33. I'm concerned enough to be stocking up. And given that

our stores in my area are limiting things like pasta, canned veg, meat, milk, and eggs....that means multiple shopping trips per week to feed a family of 3 adults and 3 children.
We bought a small freezer chest and have been freezing meat. I’m also stocking up on the veggies and pasta.

The current protests are RW agitators but if there are food shortages you can bet there will be honest protests and breakdowns in society.

[Totally Tunsie]

36. Fairly concerned.

I'm surprised that the restocking isn't better in our local markets. Today Stop & Shop looked like a war zone. So many areas were completely out of product, and I would have thought this would have leveled off by this point. Are people still hoarding?

I understood the initial rush to get out to buy supplies, but once everyone has their hoard, aren't they just doing their usual shopping and supplementing what they have stored away? The stores haven't caught up in the least.

Today was my second outing since mid-March, and the outages seem to be getting worse.

[meadowlander]

37. There will be reduced food choice, not food shortages.

For example, you might not be able to find pork for a few weeks but you can find beef or dried beans. The next week there might be a tuna shortage. Or you might not be able to get vegetables out of season. Or the price of rice will suddenly skyrocket. Or you can get ground beef but not T-bone steaks. Or suddenly the supermarket will be trying to get you to buy lamb or venison or ostrich one week because they are out of other red meats.

People aren't going to starve but there are going to be localised disruptions to the supply chain, rolling shortages of specific items and increased prices.

The best thing to do is be flexible and have a Plan B for whatever's on your shopping list and have a couple week's supply of your deal-breakers stashed away in case you strike out on a few trips.

Just remember that in normal times, 40% of the food produced in the US ends up in a landfill - and that's not counting all the food that we export and how much in excess of the required calories most Americans' normal diet is. Even with workers out sick and some logistics problems, there is way more than enough food to go around.

[JI7]

42. I feel like most of these things could be managed but Trump is the one that would ruin anything

[DFW]

44. Here, not so much

We have a farmers market in the town square three times a week. It has been there for the last 800 years.

The stands are no longer horse-drawn, but aside from that, I doubt things will change much.

[octoberlib]

45. I'm not concerned at all.