The need to prepare for food shortages is as important as ever. According to the United Nations, over 800 million people were malnourished and affected by hunger in 2021, and that number is still growing.
The food crisis of 2021 and 2022, in which the prices of food staples reached unprecedented heights, was a wake-up call for many countries the world over, including the United States of America. Since then, there have been a number of food shortages that have put global food security at risk. The United Nations estimates that more than 600 million people around the globe are at risk of starvation today.
There are many reasons why the world could experience significant food shortages in the near future. This article is going to explore some of those reasons and give you ideas and tips on how to prepare for food shortages in 2023.
Food shortages are already happening, and they might get worse in 2023. The world's population is on a steady rise, and it's projected to reach over 9 billion people by 2050. This means that the demand for food will skyrocket.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that grain production will drop significantly in 2023 due to the Russo-Ukrainian war, climate change, droughts, floods, and other factors.
The United States is a very self-reliant country when it comes to food. We produce a lot of our own food domestically and don't rely much on other countries to feed ourselves. Only about 15% of the country's overall food supply is imported from abroad.
However, this can be a double-edged sword! It's great that we don't have to rely on other countries to feed ourselves…but it becomes problematic when we can't produce enough food, and don’t have the infrastructure in place to import food in bulk.
Furthermore, even though we produce the majority of our food in the United States, we import many of the pesticides and fertilizers that help us produce these crops from other countries, including the European Union and Russia. This means that food prices are likely to go up in the coming years.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that we are on track to lose up to 250 million crop production acres to urbanization, climate change, poor farming practices, and soil degradation by 2050.
As the world's population grows, global food production must also increase. However, over the last 50 years, the world has lost more than 30% of its arable land due to erosion, urban sprawl, and climate change. Additionally, over the last 20 years, the United States has already lost more than 30 million acres of its arable land. This means that our current agriculture system is not sustainable if we are to feed the world's population in 2023.
Prices are going to be on the rise again due to increasing global demand. With inflation, supply-chain bottlenecks, extreme weather conditions, transport issues, and war conflicts in Russia and Ukraine, there will be a significant chance that prices will increase for most products in 2023 as well.
According to many reports, the current situation with food supplies is, in fact, already dire. The WFP predicts that in 2023 there will be a shortage of wheat and corn, which are two staple products in the food supply chain.
The reports also estimate that these shortages will increase global food prices and could even trigger a new global recession.
So, how can you prepare for a food shortage in 2023? What steps should you take right now to ensure that your family is able to get the food they need when the food shortages really start to affect you?
Well, we're here to help! We've come up with some simple tips that will help you get ready for the food shortages of 2023.
If you have the space and don't mind getting your hands dirty, start a survival garden. This is the most cost-effective way to prepare for the food shortages of 2023. It’s also a great way to teach your kids about where their food comes from, and how important it is to take care of the environment!
Plus, food prices are getting increasingly expensive as fuel prices rise. The cost of growing food, transporting it, and storing it increases proportionately with fuel costs.
You can start small by planting just one or two vegetable plants (like lettuce or spinach) in your backyard or balcony. Once you see how easy it is to grow your own food, you can expand your garden and start growing vegetables, herbs, spices, and various perennial plants that produce food.
And don’t worry about having enough space—in fact, there are lots of plants that grow well indoors, such as sprouts and microgreens.
We know you're probably feeling a little overwhelmed by all the news about the coming food shortages of 2023. But don't buy everything at once!
We totally understand that it is tempting to stock up on all your favorite foods now; but you'll end up wasting money on food that won't last as long as you'd like, or may go bad before you can eat it all.
Thus, we recommend starting slow and building up your supplies over time. This way, you won't end up with a lot of wasted food, and it'll be easier on your wallet too.
Take your time to study different food storage ideas, what foods last longest, and how best to store them. Find one or two things to add to your stockpile every month. Just make sure you have at least two weeks’ worth of food stockpiled, in case any disaster strikes, and build from there.
Related Source: Prepping for Beginners Supplies & Guide
Next, make sure you have an emergency food kit in your pantry. You don't need a ton of stuff in it! This kit should include some stored foods, bottled water, and medical supplies that you’ll need to survive in an emergency crisis.
Your kit should include non-perishable foods that are easy to store, easy to use, and healthy. Stock up on canned goods and dehydrated food that have long shelf lives (like beans, meats, fruits, or more). You should also add things that can be eaten right away, such as peanut butter. This will help you stay fed when times get tough.
You'll also want to include water purification tablets or water filters in case your local water supply becomes contaminated due to a natural disaster such as drought or flooding.
You'll also want to make sure that you have access to fresh fruits and vegetables no matter what happens with the global economy in 2023. One way to guarantee this is by signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program or buying from local farmers' markets whenever possible.
CSAs are great because they offer fresh produce from local farms directly to consumers on a weekly basis. They also allow you to support local businesses while providing yourself with healthy food options! If you can't find a CSA in your area, try looking for farmers markets instead.
These days farmers markets are popping up everywhere! They're great for buying local produce at reasonable prices without having to worry about long lines or paying shipping costs, and it helps to support local farmers—and make sure that there’s still food being produced in your local area.
The next best way to get ready for the food shortages of 2023 is to learn how to preserve fruits and vegetables. This may seem like an outdated skill for many of us who live in urban areas, but it has now become a necessity, given the food shortages happening around the globe.
Many people are learning how to grow their own food now that grocery stores are getting more expensive. But these methods often don't cut it during the winter months, when crops freeze or grow slowly. If you want to eat during the winter or if your local crops fail, you should definitely learn how to preserve food.
There are hundreds of different ways to preserve food. So don't worry about having to commit to one method. Just start by picking one fruit or vegetable and experiment with it for a week or two until you feel comfortable enough to move on to another one.
Stocking up on non-perishable foods is the most obvious and best way to prepare for food shortages of 2023. There are so many options out there—for instance, dried beans, canned goods like tuna fish and salmon, freeze-dried vegetables—and the list goes on! These are things that can last a long time, and they're also healthy foods to live off of, especially if there aren't any other options available at the moment.
You can never have enough non-perishables, so start stocking up now if you haven't already. Not only will this give you a stockpile of staples like rice and beans, but it will also give you some time to adjust before prices skyrocket further out of control due to limited supply and demand—which, unfortunately, is inevitable.
It would be best if you could find bulk food so that you can save yourself some money in the long run. Just make sure to check expiration dates before investing in any large quantities of these kinds of foods.
In today's world, where our plates are dominated by processed foods and fast meals, cooking from scratch seems like an antiquated skill. But a long-term food supply (like whole grains and home-grown produce) will require a “back to basics” approach to food preparation.
When we say "cooking from scratch," we mean making your own sauces, dressings, and other ingredients like pasta. If you need to add pasta to your dish, make it yourself. If you need to add dressing, make it yourself. That's what we mean by cooking from scratch. The same goes for many other items, such as bread, cakes, and pies.
We know it sounds like a lot of work, but trust us—it isn't as hard as you think! All you need is some basic ingredients, an internet connection, and a few minutes every day. Then, before you know it, you'll be making your own bread, pasta, and sauces from scratch!
If you live in a rural area, consider buying and raising a few chickens, ducks, geese, or goats for eggs and milk production. They don't take up much space, but they will provide food for years if cared for properly.
All these animals need is a place to rest at night (a small coop or shed will do) and space to graze during the day (a fenced-in yard or pen would work well).
Plus, if you live in an area where it's legal to keep livestock and sell the excess eggs or milk, you could even make some extra money by selling them!
Just be sure to read up on their specific care requirements before deciding which one(s) you'd like to raise.
If you plan on growing your own food, having a supply of seeds will be essential to survive the upcoming food shortage. During the last pandemic, we've seen a lot of food items going scarce or becoming super expensive, including seeds. Therefore, if you have the space, consider keeping some extra seeds for each kind of vegetable or fruit that you grow.
If growing or saving seeds sounds like too much work for you, we've got you covered. Here at Valley Food Storage, we have some of the best prepper seeds. We carry over 10 different heirloom seeds, carefully selected to flourish during the tumultuous years ahead.
Our seeds have over 85% germination rate, so you get more for your money. Our seeds also carry a long shelf life, which is perfect if you want to store them for up to 2 years. In short, with our seeds, you'll be prepared for any SHTF situation.
Another great way to prepare for the food shortages of 2023 is to buy whole grains in bulk for long-term storage.
Whole grains are a staple in any diet. They are a great source of fiber, protein, and other nutrients. They also have a long shelf life, making them ideal for long-term food storage.
If you're wondering how to store flour long term, one option is to start with whole grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, and corn, which can be purchased in bulk and stored in airtight containers at home for up to 6 months, or even in the freezer for up to one year, before being ground down into flour. This way, you can have a fresh and steady supply of flour on hand whenever you need it.
Another important thing to stock up on is pet food and livestock feed. If you have pets or livestock in your home, or plan on getting any soon, this is especially important, because they will need their own supply of food too!
If you're like most people, you probably don't want your dog, cat, or livestock going hungry, and neither do we. But it can be really tough to predict how long a crisis might last or how much food will be available at the grocery store once people start panicking. So, it's better to have too much than not enough when it comes to keeping your pets and livestock well-fed during any crisis period.
Our last tip for preparing for the coming food shortages of 2023 is to practice your survival game. Try going without fresh groceries for a few weeks, or try a "no-shopping" challenge. Practice cooking from scratch using basic ingredients.
See how you do and how long you will survive without the outer world. You'll quickly find what's missing in your survival game, learn where you need improvement, and discover how you can better adjust for the next emergency situation.
We understand that it can be difficult to know what and how much you should stockpile for your family. So we’ve made things simple for you with our easy-to-use food shortage preparation list. The following list shows you how much food you'll need per person for a six-month emergency period:
Salt is important to store, because it's used to flavor and preserve food. Plan on having at least 2-3 pounds of salt per family member.
Store Fortified Powdered Milk, as it has 25 years of shelf life. We recommend storing about ten pounds per adult.
Powdered eggs aren't only shelf-stable; they also provide all the benefits that fresh eggs do! Make sure you have enough powdered eggs on hand so that everyone in your family gets at least one serving per day for six months.
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Storing whole grains like wheat is an important aspect of family preparedness. If the cost or availability of grain changes, you will be in a better position to feed your family with some backup grains. Buy at least 100 pounds per adult. Our MultiGrain Dried Cereal has a 25-year shelf life and can help you get started on building your long-term food supply! It's a good idea to store rice as part of your emergency food stockpile. Brown or white rice, in combination with our Sweet and Sour Asian Rice, should equal about 15 pounds per adult. The shelf life of plain white rice is eight years, but the shelf life of our Sweet and Sour Asian Rice is 25 years! Store at least 10 pounds of oats per adult for a six-month period. Oats have a shelf life of three to seven years, depending on variety and packing methods. Our oatmeal has a 25-year shelf life and can be used as a snack, or as a dish all on its own, making it perfect for a quick and convenient breakfast or lunch for the whole family. Store whole corn, not cracked corn or cornmeal. Whole corn keeps for eight to twelve years, while cracked corn or cornmeal lasts only a year. Our Freeze Dried Sweet Corn has a 25-year shelf life and can be used in all your favorite soups and salads, or even by itself as a delicious side dish. Seven to eight pounds per adult is recommended for a six-month period. Canned or freeze-dried foods are common staples in any prepper's food stock. They're inexpensive, easy to store, and convenient to use. The amount of canned and freeze-dried foods you keep in your stockpile depends on the ratio of fruit and vegetables in your preferred diet. Depending on their age and sex, federal guidelines recommend that adults eat at least 1½ to 2 cups per day of fruit, and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables as part of a healthy eating pattern. So, seventy to eighty pounds of canned or freeze-dried fruits and eighty to ninety pounds of canned or freeze-dried vegetables per adult is recommended for a six month period. All our freeze-dried vegetables and fruits have a 25-year shelf life! When storing canned meats, you must turn the cans every month and don’t stockpile more than you would use in two years; however, freeze-dried meats have a long shelf life. Here at Valley Food Storage, we source high-quality USDA-certified freeze dried meat, all made in the USA. We recommend storing at least twenty-five to thirty pounds of canned or freeze-dried meats per adult for a six-month period. We recommend storing various oils, butter, and peanut butter. The collective weight of these oils and fats should be about 48–50 pounds per adult. The canned products and oil must be continuously rotated to ensure maximum freshness. If there's one thing we've learned from history, it's that a good supply of food can be the difference between survival and starvation. A well-stocked pantry will not only help you to cook healthy meals, but also give you peace of mind during uncertain times. Stock up on dehydrated goods, freeze-dried meats, rice, beans, pasta, dried fruits, nuts, and seeds—or whatever your family likes!
Whole Powdered Eggs | 10 Pack + Bucket | USDA-Certified
Our Whole Eggs powdered eggs are an amazing option to stock your pantry or cellar in the event of an emergency. Freeze Dried Egg Powder is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat because of its large amounts of proteins and vitamins while being low in fat. Store what is widely considered...
Wheat or Other Grains
Rice
Oats
Corn
Canned or Freeze-Dried Fruits and Vegetables
Canned or Freeze-Dried Meats
Fats and Oils
The Bottom Line for Preparing for Food Shortages in 2023