Food (1983: Doomsday)

Introduction
Like most things, food production in many parts of the world took a serious hit following Doomsday. While in some places rationing was enough to avert disaster, in others the food shortage was severe enough to lead to violence and social collapse. Cases of cannibalism were not uncommon. Although the actual figures are unknown, it is estimated that the number of people worldwide killed by starvation exceeds the number who died as a result of exposure to radiation, both directly and by cancer. While the majority of nations have since mostly recovered, food shortages are still all too common while rationing is still present to some degree in a number of countries, with even those countries who’s food production is generally more than adequate having rationing of certain goods.

Additionally, the collapse of world-wide trade networks and the changed climate has lead to other changes in diet around the world. Prior to Doomsday, a sizable percentage of the food consumed in the majority of the Western world was imported, now all that has changed. Today, the bulk of the food supply in most nations is home produced, with some food stuffs being traded between immediate neighbours. Many foods, such as coco, sugar, tea, coffee, tropical fruits, etc, are either extremely rare outside the areas where they are cultivated or have vanished altogether.