Although for now there is nothing to indicate that we may face a nutritional collapse, recent events have warned us that something that we normally take for granted, going to buy food and finding everything we want, depends actually on a delicate chain of transport and suppliers that has, sometimes, very distant and uncertain origins.
This transport chain has many risks of outages due to natural disasters, droughts, floods, fires, storms, conflicts, pandemics, etc. But the Prepper community knew these shortages were coming for years and we have to allot to learn from their way of living
There are two main ways to be prepared for these types of problems: identify the potential risks that exist in the area in which we live and have a plan to be able to support ourselves and our loved ones as easy as possible. But let's look at it more in-depth.
1. Identify potential collapse risks specific to your area
Depending on where you live, it is more or less possible that some things or others are scarce. For example, in some places it is more likely that there will be a lack of water, but not so much if there are springs or clear water rivers in the surroundings. It is not the same if you live in an area rich in crops, than if you live in the center of Madrid. Therefore, the essential thing is to be clear about what you could most likely be missing in the event of problems and act accordingly.
2. Take inventory of your current food resources
It is essential to be clear at all times how much food you have in the pantry and how long it can feed you. You can use the Food Storage Calculator calculator to help you figure out the minimum food storage amounts needed for your family. If you are not sure of what to buy or want to save some time it might be easier for you to buy an Emergency Food Supply bucket on Amazon, these food supplies contain the basics to keep your family healthy during an emergency and have been designed to be easy to prepper during harshconditionss.
3. Take inventory of your current water resources or water purification
To respond to any emergency, it is best to have a few liters of water to survive a few days. Here is another calculator to calculate how much would be needed. A good idea is to install a water tank with built-in filtration that will allow us to store large quantities effortlessly.
Depending on your situation, storing that much water can be a problem. Perhaps the best thing is to have a personal filtering system or water purification tablets, which will allow us to safely drink water that is initially not drinkable.
4. Agriculture
If you are lucky enough to live in a rural area with access to a piece of arable land, or even a space where you can plant an indoor garden, planting some fruits, vegetables and vegetables can save your life.
Learn how to do it and hand tools and seeds to do it. Among the best vegetables to grow: tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, lettuce or spinach.
5. Livestock
This one might be a little harder for most of us but having livestock might be necessary for some scenarios. A chicken coop is easy to maintain if you have the space. It will provide you with eggs and meat. If you have the ability and space, consider raising pigs, sheep, or cows.
6. Tools
In the event that the food supply runs out, some tools (which you probably won't have in your garage) will be very necessary, such as a grain grinder, a bread machine, a pressure canner, or a dehydration machine.
7. Prepare a “long-term pantry”
There are foods such as wheat, rice, beans, oats, pasta, sugar, or salt that can be kept for more than 20 or 30 years if they are properly packaged. Maintaining a long-lasting pantry can give you a huge advantage in surviving a long-term food crash.
Other suitable products to keep for a long time are oils, powdered milk, yeast, canned fruits, and vegetables.
8. Learn how to preserve food
Preserving food has been one of the great advances that humanity has made since it allows us to fill the pantry when we harvest, slaughter or hunt.
For a Prepper, knowing how these simple processes are carried out is essential to planning a safer future.
9. Learn to fish, hunt, and gather
If things get really bad when it comes to food, which doesn't seem entirely realistic today, you may even be forced to go back down the evolutionary ladder and become a hunter-gatherer. In which case, all the background knowledge and equipment you can muster will be of great interest to you.
Youtube is a great resource to learn some tricks that might save your life
10. Try to maintain a good relationship with your neighbors
In the event of a food supply outage, having a good relationship with your neighbors will allow you to deal with the situation together, which can always be an advantage when gathering food from the wild or sharing equipment.
Don't forget that when it comes to prepping the best time to start is today