The British government is concerned about possible CO2 shortages that could affect the agrifood industry and is preparing adaptation measures if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by summer due to the conflict in the Middle East, according to information from The Times on Thursday. According to the daily newspaper, the government has worked on such a scenario, among others, during a recent crisis meeting organized to assess the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and which has since spread across the region. In this scenario, the supply of carbon dioxide (CO2), a by-product notably of the manufacture of fertilizers from natural gas, could drop by 18%, with consequences for many sectors, including agriculture and the agrifood industry. This gas is used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry as well as to increase the conservation of packaged foods. Breweries, which use it for beer production, could also be affected. "I do ...