Babiš at "Země živitelka" Exhibition: Full Shelves Won't Last Forever

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš addressed the agricultural exhibition "Země živitelka" (Land the Provider), warning that fully stocked supermarket shelves are no guarantee for the future. According to him, food security deserves just as much attention as military security.

"The fact that shops are full of food today doesn't mean it will always be that way," Babiš said. He noted that it's become fashionable to talk about insufficient security in general terms — and he agrees with that concern — but the same logic applies to food supplies. He pointed out that the fact the European Union exports €50 billion worth of food every year doesn't mean abundance on store shelves is guaranteed or immune to threats.

Drought to Cost Farmers Billions

The Prime Minister recalled that due to a prolonged lack of rainfall, agriculture in the EU and the UK is estimated to lose around €2 billion (roughly 48.3 billion crowns) compared to expected economic output.

At the same time, Babiš expressed confidence that Czech farmers are fully capable of supplying retail chains with domestic produce. As an example, he pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic six years ago: "We had to close the borders, imports of goods dropped, and we ate Czech food," the Prime Minister said.

Criticism of EU Climate Policy

The head of the Czech government also criticized European climate policy and the Green Deal, which he believes only makes things harder for farmers running their businesses. "Green madness combined with the situation in the Strait of Hormuz creates a dangerous cocktail," Babiš said, referring to the conflict in the Middle East.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz