In 1939 Britain imported about 75% of its food.
A sense of security was embedded in the Empire, but this dependence made the country extremely vulnerable to attacks on its supply lines.
Germany hoped to exploit this weakness by cutting off the sea routes that brought supplies to Britain, hoping to starve the country into submission.
At the outbreak of war, the Ministry of Food was created, and this government agency assumed full control of the country's food, including imports, distribution, and pricing.
The rationing system became commonplace, with each person being issued a pocket-sized ration book.
Households had to register with a specific local butcher, shop and milkman.
Authorities ensured that these stores were supplied with enough provisions to meet the nutritional needs of their registered customers.
Since the country was dependent on its imports, the German blockades severely threatened these supply ships and threatened starvation.
By 1941, certain food supplies in Britain were only weeks from running out.
In immediate response, the “Dig for Victory” campaign was launched, encouraging citizens to become self-sufficient.
Charlotte Gurney, who runs White House Farm (Image: Supplied)
Open spaces, sports fields, public parks and even the moat at the Tower of London were converted into vegetable gardens.
The number of allotments across the country increased and animal husbandry became commonplace.
In addition, wasting food was considered a crime.
With the recent anniversary of the 81st VE Day, we find ourselves in familiar territory.
We produce 62 percent of our food ourselves (only 17 percent of our fruit).
The most commonly imported staple foods include bananas, rice, cocoa and nuts.
From the war in Ukraine, the breadbasket of Europe, to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and restrictions on vital fertilizer and fuel, our supply lines are once again under siege.
Food prices are skyrocketing; By November they should be twice as high as in 2021.
You might think that now is the right time to sow seeds in the ground.
Yet our government prioritizes and promotes solar farms and carbon-offsetting forests over feeding the country.
At our café at White House Farm in Norwich, our barista team are proud to use milk from our local, family-run dairy, Nortons.
The impact of increased prices for diesel, fertilizers and chemicals is devastating.
Worse still, the price of milk they receive from Arla, their main buyer, is currently below the cost of production.
Even when the cows are on pasture, this precious resource is limited due to the lack of rain.
As some farmers sell the fertilizer they planted last season and leave their land fallow to weather the storm, the question arises: What are the options for a herd of Swiss Brown Swiss whose breeding lines go back 1,000 years?
It is a very worrying time.
Even in our butcher shop, where we promote Norfolk-bred animals, prices continue to fluctuate, increasing the gap between us and the supermarket.
Competing with foreign meat raised under lower animal welfare standards is often impossible.
However, should imports be reduced to a minimum, where will the country find its protein sources when local butcher shops are no longer part of our food landscape?
Lancashire and Norfolk are already the worst affected counties, with 60 butchers disappearing since 2010.
They lose decades of knowledge and experience that are difficult to regain.
Being self-sufficient, shopping locally and growing your own food has countless benefits: health, finances and the environment.
It promotes mental well-being and provides a great sense of achievement.
And if you grew it, you're more likely to eat it.
I had my own personal glimpse of the future this week when I attended the launch of a Home Harvest initiative in London.
Aiming to be the smartest home-based farm, the concept sees those with the space or inclination set up a “growing unit” in the kitchen and produce weekly harvests of their favorite leaves.
No shopping, no plastic, no waste, just tailored nutritional values - a more modern take on a food booklet.
If we want to learn anything from the past, it is that each of us should not take our imports for granted.
Website: www.whfnorwich.com
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