The National Audit Office’s Resilience of the Food Supply Chain to Disruptions report (September 2026) highlights critical weaknesses in the UK’s preparedness for food shocks. In this response, Adam Tugwell examines why headline self‑sufficiency figures mask deeper structural fragility, argues that resilience must be built locally and collaboratively, and outlines practical steps to strengthen community‑level food security. This piece calls for a shift from centralised emergency powers to decentralised capability – treating food not just as an economic sector, but as a foundation of national resilience and public trust.