Britain is readying a national campaign urging people to stockpile canned food and better prepare for national emergencies, the latest European country to prioritize resilience efforts amid growing fears of an attack by Russia or a climate-related catastrophe.
The push comes after Sweden this year said it would begin building reserves of food, fuel, and power to guard against a crisis or conflict; it previously advised individuals to also hold about 1,000 Swedish krona (roughly $105) in cash for fear of national payment systems being disrupted.
Neither country is the first: During the 20th century interwar period, Switzerland established emergency reserves of meat, rice, and sugar, while Finland has had a similar system for upwards of a century.