Portugal: On the day when food runs out, policy will be concerned with food security, says José Palha

Published Nov 13, 2021

Tridge summary

Portugal is facing a significant risk to its food security due to its reliance on external sources for over 90% of its cereals, with a critical lack of strategic cereal reserves. This vulnerability has been highlighted by the current global trade crisis. Producer associations, including ANPOC, the national association of producers of cereals and oilseeds, have criticized the government for their strategy or lack thereof, and have raised concerns about the potential increase in prices and delivery uncertainties for essential food products like wheat. The situation underscores the urgent need for Portugal to develop a more self-sufficient and resilient food supply chain to ensure food availability and stability.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

With a dependency of more than 90% on the outside world and without strategic cereal reserves, Portugal is very exposed to the current crisis of global trade. Producer associations criticize the government – and the lack of strategic thinking. “I had been in a pastry shop for days and asked if prices had already gone up because of the rise in wheat,” says José Palha. “They told me that they had not yet gone up because they were working with flour purchased before, but that they will go up – but that the suppliers do not guarantee them the delivery time for the requested flour for December”, he continues. Palha, who heads the national association of producers of cereals and oilseeds, ANPOC, notes the almost total dependence that Portugal has on wheat ...

Source: Agro Portugal