Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.26-113538/https://www.ft.com/content/eeb1ee80-00b8-4f9f-b560-a6717a80d58d
EU households should stockpile essential supplies to survive at least 72 hours of crisis, Brussels has proposed, as Russia’s war in Ukraine and a darkening geopolitical landscape prompt the bloc to take new steps to increase its security.
The continuing conflict in Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic that brutally exposed a lack of crisis response capabilities and the Trump administration’s adversarial stance towards Europe have forced the continent to rethink its vulnerabilities and increase spending on defence and security.
The new initiative comes as European intelligence agencies warn that Russia could attack an EU member state within three to five years, adding to natural threats including floods and wildfires worsened by climate change and societal risks such as financial crises.
Europe faced increased threats “including the possibility of armed aggression against member states”, the European Commission warned on Wednesday as it published a 30-step plan for its 27 capitals to increase their preparedness for crisis and mitigation measures.
I read that as 72 days at first and thought something serious was expected soon. Oh, 72 HOURS. Who doesn’t have that?
Also unless you are on the border, how useful is that likely to be? What would the expectation be, only short term supply chain disruption so shops may run out of something in the first few days but after that food supply will adjust to it?
I don’t think the preparation is meant for full blown war. It’s for disruptions.
Russia won’t be able drive tanks all over Europe any time soon, but they are capable of cutting cables to attack energy distribution, hacking payment methods and other infrastructure dependent on networks.
Remember the start of Covid? There was plenty of toiletpapir, hand sanitizer and test kits for everyone, but nobody could get it in stores for a long time because everyone wanted it at the same time. It’s better if everyone stock up over a longer period of time, so it doesn’t crash the supply chain when it is needed.
That makes quite a bit of sense as to how it would be useful.
Germany’s advice for normal times is to be stocked up for 11 days. 3 Days compared to that is laughable even so it is better than 0.
Its not really something I think of because I am going to have easily days worth of food without even having to think about it. Stuff like pasta, rice and flour.
11 days not so sure on, if I had just been shopping at the start of the 11 days then easily, but if it was from just before I go shopping then its harder to say. I would most likely be able to ration out what is left to cover 11 days but its going to be pretty basic by the end of it. Like fried rice with salt and pepper kind of thing.
If your food needs water to be eaten then you need to store that extra water, which is by far the largest part you need to keep.
I have rainwater collection, boil it and it should be safe to drink.
Boil it without electricity?
Fire
I have tablets for purifying and rainwater, but that needs rain, and in winter it means fuel.
Food for these days should not be dependent on water.
Unlikely to get that cold here that everything completely freezes, usually keep enough wood dry to boil a fair bit of water and I can easily go out to get more of necessary.
That’s good, then can you read your original comment and see that other people are in other places with other situations? 😌
So stockpile so e fuel as well?
Nope the advice of BBK (Federal office of civil protection and disaster assistance) recommends to have consisted stocks for 11 days including water for drinking, basic hygiene and cooking.
Looks like that would be 6KG of rice for 2 people if done with rice alone. Don’t have that much, though with other ingredients typically in the kitchen I would probably be alright. Cooking oil is like 9000kcal for a litre. Fry the rice then would make it go further.
Obviously chugging oil alone is unpleasant but you can just add a bit more than normal if you need to internationally increase the kcal of some meals.
I don’t have 72hrs of food at home, because I have almost no self control. 2 days of food can very easily also be one day of food haha