The harvest season has brought with it a stark reminder of changes in the UK's agricultural output and food quality, according to a recent commentary in the News Letter. The piece notes that wheat yields in the United Kingdom are down by around 14 per cent this year, and crops of potatoes, carrots and onions are also much lower. Milk production has fallen as well, due to reduced grass growth.

The article also points to research showing that the nutritional value of fruit and vegetables has fallen by up to 50 per cent since the 1960s because of declining soil quality. This has been described as a 'hollowing out' of what is inside our food.

The commentary emphasises that despite these challenges, supermarkets continue to provide much of what is needed, but at higher prices that many struggle to afford. It suggests that consumers may be insulated from the harshest realities, but the realities still exist.

Drawing on the Bible, the piece argues that humanity has a responsibility to care for the land. It cites Genesis 2, where God put man in the Garden of Eden 'to work it and take care of it', and Psalm 24, which states that 'the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it'. It says these passages indicate that the world ultimately belongs to God and should be managed, not owned outright.

Psalm 50 is quoted to illustrate God's personal commitment to the earth: 'Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.'

The commentary concludes that food and harvests are precious gifts from God that must not be taken for granted. It urges readers to make a daily practice of giving thanks for food, meals, water, and all that is consumed, even as the harvest season of thanksgiving comes to an end.