Vegetable Shortage

I'm one of these lucky people who actually quite likes healthy food. I don't have to force down my "five a day"; I do so with gusto. Most of my meals are salad-based. However, I've noticed that almost all shops are running low on stocks and it's been in the news that there is an official shortage of fresh vegetables. Salad veg has been hit the worst, including iceberg lettuce, my personal favourite, cucumbers and celery. The cause of this has been bad weather in the Mediterranean region from where Britain imports most of these products. Spain has had record rainfalls that have destroyed millions of acres of farmland and Italy has seen some of their lowest ever temperatures, very heavy snowfall and a lack of sunlight. Apparently 90% of all Britain's iceberg lettuce comes from just one small region of Spain. Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38666752. Ian R Crane Tweeted something very interesting last night; could this vegetable shortage trigger a call for more genetically modified crops? See: https://twitter.com/IanRCrane/status/827832467017064448. Perhaps they could add duck or goose genes to the lettuce so it will float above the floodwater, who knows? It's apt timing that this has come about just after I saw Mark Lynas at Oxford Skeptics in the Pub. Lynas supports GMO's and he might well have something to say about this, see: http://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/mark-lynas-at-oxford-sitp.html. The obvious solution to the vegetable crisis is to have back up markets and source the produce from multiple locations... but no! That's far too simple. We need mutant life forms to consume instead. It also gives an excuse for new general food regulations. Indeed a few supermarket chains are rationing their effected vegetables. This has not been done since World War II, see: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15068198.Lettuce_rationed_by_supermarkets_as_vegetable_shortage_bites___what_s_your_experience_/. I also heard from a shopkeeper today that a young boy has been arrested for selling lettuces on the street. I've not been able to confirm this, but it wouldn't surprise me. (Edit. Confirmation: https://brightonbulletin.com/2017/02/03/teenager-arrested-for-selling-lettuce-to-desperate-vegans-on-hove-street-corner/)

See here for additional background: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/gm-insects-to-fight-malaria.html.

And: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/gmo-spuds-poised-for-market.html.

And: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/gmo-labelling-made-law.html.

And: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/rothamsted-update.html.