I came across this article today and it reminded that I was intending to start a discussion along these lines.
When you do your shopping, what's your priority? Organic, therefore supposedly healthier and tastier for you, or locally grown? If I have a choice between organically grown carrots from Israel or "standard" carrots from Kent (therefore only down the road by comparison) which should I get? Personally I go for the locally grown. The ideal solution is buy everything from local organic farms, but that isn't always feasible (it involves a lot more planning and really following the seasons, which isn't easy with a household of people who only like specific veg) so I try to compromise... plus growing things locally.
I do however, refuse point blank, to have things like carrots, apples, onions and potatoes that have not been grown in the UK or a country v. close by because they are all grown here in the UK and they store well so can be made available all year round - there is no reason at all to be flying them in from the US or New Zealand (it's amazing how many apples over here have come from New Zealand - the other day I even came across Coxes that had come from NZ.... why?????).
This article also raises another good point - should you really better for eating that organic ready meal, with products from all over the world. It would have less negative impact on the world (and probably taste better) if you made it yourself with local products.
Reply to this article / Report this article
Replying to this comment:
Certain fresh fruits, like fresh organic blueberries can only be supplied fresh in the UK winter months from the Soutern Hemisphere. You are probably concerned about foodmiles but...the planes fly anyway, and fly more economically filled! Also in NZ there is a flight school specially for trainee pilots from the UK, who are trained to fly long ramge flights in the future. The flight school planes causes us a lot of disruption both in noise and air pollution. If you are going to eat you own organic produce then train your own pilots aswell.
Reply to this comment
I'm not sure I agree with that, although you make an interesting point. I could be too idealistic saying that eating locally is better whilst ignoring the fact that planes fly long distance with half empty loads, but the more people who choose to eat locally, the less planes and loads there will be.
I've never been a big fan of the "it's going to happen anyway" argument, it always seems to fatalistic to me!
Reply to this comment