Summary
Food shortages don’t always happen because food runs out. History shows that wars, government policies, failing agriculture, and disrupted transportation can prevent food from reaching families even when food is available. These historical events show how food systems fail and why building an emergency food supply helps protect your family during disruptions.
History Shows How Food Shortages Really Begin
Food shortages don't always begin because there isn't enough food.
History tells a different story.
Again and again, food has remained available somewhere, but conflict cuts off transportation, governments made disastrous decisions, farms stopped producing, or supply routes collapsed.
The result is the same.
Families can't get the food they need.
The 4 events below happened in different countries under very different circumstances.
But they all reveal the same truth: Food security depends on far more than what's growing in a field or sitting in a warehouse.
It depends on whether that food can actually reach your table.
When You Can't Reach Food
The Siege of Sarajevo
On April 5, 1992, Bosnian Serb forces surrounded Sarajevo and imposed a total blockade, cutting the city off from food, power, and water. The siege lasted nearly four years.
Artillery struck Sarajevo more than 300 times a day on average, while snipers made schools, hospitals, homes, and even bread lines dangerous places to stand.
Food still existed outside the city.
People simply couldn't reach it.
Sarajevo came close to starvation before the United Nations organized what became the largest humanitarian airlift in history—more than 12,000 flights involving over 20 countries. [2]
Even after a tunnel beneath the airport opened in 1993 to bring in supplies, malnutrition became widespread, and elderly residents died in unheated homes during the winter.
When Farms Stop Producing
Zimbabwe's Agricultural Collapse
Zimbabwe was once known as the “breadbasket of Africa.”
Then, in the early 2000s, Robert Mugabe gave the green light for commercial farms to be seized, affecting roughly 23 million acres and revoking the property rights of commercial farmers.
Many experienced farmers left for other African countries, taking years of commercial farming knowledge with them. Much of Zimbabwe’s arable land went uncultivated, while many of the new landholders lacked experience in large-scale agriculture.
The results came quickly.
Total food production fell 60% over ten years, and commercial farmland lost an estimated three-quarters of its aggregate value between 2000 and 2001 alone.
A nation once known for feeding the region was left struggling with devastating food shortages.
When One Policy Changes Everything
Sri Lanka's Fertilizer Ban
In May 2021, Sri Lanka banned imports of chemical fertilizers and agrochemicals and pushed farmers to transition to organic farming immediately rather than through a phased process.
The country did not have enough organic fertilizer production to replace existing demand, and many farmers lacked the knowledge and time needed to change systems.
The harvest told the story.
Rice production during the 2021–22 main growing season fell almost 40%, dropping to 1.93 million metric tons, according to Sri Lanka’s Department of Census and Statistics. [3]
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that overall food production during the previous harvest season was 40% to 50% lower than the year before. [3]
The government revoked the ban in November 2021, but the main-season crop was already underway.
The sudden policy change sharply reduced agricultural production in a single growing season, showing how quickly food output can unravel.
When Supply Routes Are Cut Off
Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict
More than 350,000 metric tons of food aid were positioned inside Ethiopia in September 2021.
Very little of it could get into the Tigray region.
The United Nations estimated that at least 100 trucks carrying food and other supplies needed to reach Tigray every day to meet basic needs.
By September 8, fewer than 500 trucks had arrived since July using the only accessible road into the region. [4]
The U.N. described the situation as “a de facto humanitarian aid blockade.” Ethiopian officials denied there was hunger in Tigray and blamed Tigray forces and insecurity for problems delivering aid. [4]
As access remained restricted, reports of starvation deaths mounted.
The food was available—it just could not reach the people who needed it.
5 Ways to Build Food Security at Home
1. Build an Emergency Food Supply
The easiest way to reduce your dependence on the grocery store is to bring more of your food home before you need it. Start with a 72-hour supply, then work toward two weeks, one month, and beyond. Stock up on emergency food staples such as eggs, coffee, and sugar from Ready Hour. These #10 cans are budget-friendly and designed to stay safe for years. Long-term emergency food gives your family a buffer when stores are empty or supply chains are disrupted.
2. Grow Food You Can Keep Growing
A garden feeds you today. Heirloom seeds can feed you for years to come because they produce seeds you can save and plant again. Even a small backyard garden helps reduce your dependence on the food system.
3. Produce Food at Home
If local ordinances allow it, consider raising backyard chickens or other small livestock. Fresh eggs and homegrown meat provide another layer of food security while reducing your reliance on grocery stores.
4. Diversify Your Food Supply
Don't depend on a single source of calories or protein. Store shelf-stable staples like rice, beans, and freeze-dried meats alongside everyday pantry foods. The more ways you can feed your family, the more resilient you'll be.
5. Build Local Food Connections
Get to know your local farmers, ranchers, and butchers before you need them. Shop farmers' markets. Join a CSA. Build relationships with the people who produce food in your community. Local connections can be just as valuable as a well-stocked pantry.
The pantry you fill today is the one nobody can blockade, seize, or legislate away.
Build the buffer now, friends.
Which of these five would you start with this month? Tell us in the comments.
In liberty,
Elizabeth Anderson
Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply
Sources
[1] Britannica.Siege of Sarajevo. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Sarajevo
[2] Cato Institute.Why Mugabe's Land Reforms Were So Disastrous.
August 30, 2018.
https://www.cato.org/commentary/why-mugabes-land-reforms-were-so-disastrous
[3] S&P Global.Sri Lanka Waking Up to Reality of Food Shortages After Failed Organic Farming Dream.
August 11, 2022.
https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/blog/agriculture/081022-sri-lanka-crisis-food-organic-farming
[4] Reuters.U.N. Aid Chief to Ethiopia on Famine in Tigray: "Get Those Trucks Moving."
September 28, 2021.
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/un-aid-chief-ethiopia-famine-tigray-get-those-trucks-moving-2021-09-28/
