What is rationing?
Rationing is when a government controls the allocation of goods and services so that everyone gets their "fair" share. Rationing is usually used during wartime because there are usually shortages due to the war and rationing is a way to prevent people from hoarding food and other items. Under a rationing system people receive ration coupons, a ticket or receipt that allows a person to obtain a specified amount of a product. Rationing almost always leads to the creation of a black market, a way for people to illegally obtain rationed items, but it is sometimes necessary to prevent those who are not able to pay the higher prices during wartime from starving and those who are wealthier from hoarding items for themselves.
Rationing In World War II
Because the United Kingdom is an island nation, a huge amount of their food and other resources were scarce and were rationed during the war. The Germans attempted to cut off supplies being shipped to Great Britain, they targeted shipping with their U-boats and it became very difficult for the British to receive the resources they needed. Before World War II started about 55 million tons of food was being imported to the U.K. but only a month after the war began that number had dropped to only 12 million tons of food. Because of the drastic decrease in food supply, the British government began rationing gasoline when war broke out in September 1939. In the beginning of 1940 bacon, butter, and sugar were rationed as well. Within a few months meat, tea, jam, biscuits, breakfast cereals, cheese, eggs, lard, milk, and canned and dried fruits were also rationed. The sytem used by the British Government was created so that different people received different colored ration books with coupons according to their estimated needs. Buff-colored books were for adults, green books were for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children under the age of five which gave them the first choice of fruit, a daily pint of milk, and a double supply of eggs, and blue books were for children between the five and sixteen years of age which provided fruit, a full meat ration, and half a pint of milk everyday. Food rationing in Great Britain lasted 14 years, until July 1954.
Typical Ration for adults
This was a typical ration for one adult for one week:
- Butter: 50g (2 oz.)
- Sugar: 225g (8 oz.)
- Cheese: 50g (2 oz.)
- Jam: 450g (1 lb.) every two months
- Bacon and Ham: 100g (4 oz.)
- Eggs: 1 fresh egg a week
- Dried Eggs: 1 packet every four weeks
- Margarine : 100g (4 oz.)
- Milk: 3 pints (1800 ml), occasionally dropping to 2 pints (1200 ml)
- Tea: 50g (2 oz.)
- Sweets: 350g (12 oz.) every four weeks
Here's a picture of one week's supply of food for an adult.
Video
Watch this video of the British Food Minister introducing rationing to the British public!