The human cost of war in Ukraine is horrific and the damage inflicted on the country’s infrastructure will take many years to mend. The repercussions of the conflict, however, spread far beyond Ukraine’s borders. 

Disruption to food and energy supply chains is having a significant impact on inflation here in the UK. The cost of living had already risen by 5.1 per cent in the year before Russia invaded Ukraine; the Bank of England now predicts it is likely to reach around 10 per cent this year.

All this throws into sharp focus how we obtain our food and energy – two basic necessities that are intrinsically tied to the rural sector.

Is it possible to balance a secure supply of each, at an affordable price (for the consumer and the producer) without compromising our carbon goals?

As we navigate through this latest crisis, the Government, producers and consumers are all going to have to make big decisions about where their priorities lie. As is often the case, financial pressures will influence people’s actions, but they can also spur people to seek out alternative solutions.

Will the public look at where a product has come from and how it has been produced or will they just be guided by price? Can farmers find creative ways to reduce prices without compromising quality and while still making a living? Is now a time to embrace co-operative farming? Or for GM crops to be properly debated? And what of government policy, will food security take precedence over 'green' uses for land?

As energy prices rise, the Government is under pressure to look at alternatives to importing oil and gas. Will they open new North Sea oil fields and embrace fracking as they decide energy security trumps carbon reduction? Or could there be a renewed investment in research into battery storage and renewable energies so that we can power the nation without sacrificing our net zero ambitions?

Whatever the answers to these many questions, the rural sector will be at their heart.

• For up-to-date news and views on the rural sector, read the latest edition of Savills Aspects of Land

Further information

Contact Andrew Harle

Savills Rural