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The UK Needs a Strategy for Farming and Future Food Production

July 14th, 2011

By Ali Withers

The UK’s largest manufacturing industry is food production is but the final report from the soon-to-be-abolished Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) released in late March has criticised the lack of Government plans for its future.

Its review of the last decade argues that the Government must be actively involved in promoting sustainable food production and feeding growing populations healthily from locally grown food in order to meet the rising challenge of food poverty rather than relying on a “leave it to the market” approach.

The NFU (UK National Farmers’ Union) had also highlighted the issue of a lack of Government involvement at its annual conference in February 2011, where NFU president Peter Kendall, argued that the country needs a properly thought-through food strategy.

Otherwise the country will depend more and more on food imports, he said,.

Escalating prices since 2008 have affected not only consumers but also farmers, who are having to pay more for both animal feed and fuel. Farmers also consistently complain about the pressure from the major superstore retailers driving down prices to unsustainably low levels, where the return to farmers is lower than the cost of producing foods. » Read more: The UK Needs a Strategy for Farming and Future Food Production

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Posted in Environmental, Healthy Food

Is Organic Food Just One of Many Healthy Food Trends?

July 14th, 2011

Organic foods are one of a number of healthy food trends that is developing into a longer term commitment to healthier farming practices, and healthier food. It is not only that organic food is healthier to eat; it is also healthier for the environment. Other food trends include SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, environmental) and 100 mile (buying from local growers) foods.

Do you know where your food comes from? Are the asparagus you buy in November coming from a local farmer, or are they being flown in from around the world? What does it cost in energy and environmental impact to get the food from the farm to your table? Do you know the environmental impact of eating red meat? It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef.

Large scale food production – often accomplished through genetically engineered foods – is supported by manufacturers because they can earn more money from more production; and is supported by governments who want to ensure that their citizens have access to food (the premise is that unhealthy food is better than no food). There are more than 6 billion humans in the world, many of whom do not have enough food to eat. But what is the cost to the planet of producing on a mass scale?

Genetic modification, chemicals, pesticides, and intensive farming are just some of the techniques used to increase food production. And those techniques have negative impacts on the environment: from changing the genetic make-up of food, to contamination of land and water, to overworking land. Those food production techniques also result in food with less nutritional value. » Read more: Is Organic Food Just One of Many Healthy Food Trends?