As starting the sustainability “toolkit” project, I come across a web site which has lots of different links about sustainability solutions in different catalogs and theories around the world.
The one I am interested in is the “100 mile diet”. Diet is the most basic thing that we need everyday and it’s the easiest thing that people will fall into the trance of unsustainable. “100 mile diet” is introducing the local eating habit which just eating food grown and raised within 100 miles of where you live.
Normal supermarket mainly state their food is made in
100 miles is a diameter from your home and that region is big enough for people to find any kind of local foods with huge variety.
From where I live 100miles can cover the up to 1/3 of the whole
I am going to investigate the sustainability toolkits as “100 mile diet” but I am going to challenge that as 10mile diet. As I am not living in the heart of city I believe I could find some resources within 10 miles region of my living area.
First I go online and find out where is the nearest and the most convenient Framers Market (which suggested in the web site). Most of the Framer Markets are open in the first weekend of the month or in some selected dates.
Bromley is the most convenient place for me to go as I normally visit there twice a month if I am not going to central. I mainly using bus to travel to there but this time I tried to be green and spend around 45mins on foot to Bromley which is around 2 miles away. There are several Fruits Stores, one sausage/ processed meat, breads and jams store, vegetable store. I didn’t notice those stores are framers market as I can see some Chinese or Indian selling their country goods which is not what I expected to see in “Local Framers Store”.
I have been talking to some store holder they said the “Local” have the variety of meaning as some people bring their goods from their own country and when they landed in UK, in their house, those good will automatically called “Local”. I think that is so unfair to the real Local products.
Britain’s first farmers’ market opened in Bath in 1997. Now UK has reached 550 farmers’ markets 17% of households have visited a farmers’ market, and it looks like there is still lots of room for growth since nine out of ten people say they would shop at a market if they had one locally.
I went to Sainsbury's supermarket some of the products in there stated they are British product, Scottland etc. but exactly where did they growth? They don't even state on the label or they know know where do they come from.
Also I think supermarket do provide or give out wrong information and eating habit to public. From the eat the seasons website we know that what is seasonal what is not. In the supermarket you can find all kind of vegetables in all season. It is a reality of human, as people would get hold with what they want no matter ignore the method. As supermarket is commercial unit they want to use variety of food products to attack people and people do want to get their food in a convenient way and don't consider where does the food comes from or how they are produced etc.People do have confusion about what is farmers market and compare them with supermarkets. As supermarket may have a cheaper price then market price. When people want to buy English produce they will go to market but they do want to have all food in all season so they have no option but to buy and go for supermarket.
Shop/ eat locally: - improves food quality as the products as spending less time in the shipping container.
- saves transportation costs
- contributes to the local economy as you spending locally
- making useful of the farmland as you shop locally you will show the impertinences of the local producer
- healthier diet as you know more what you are eating as you will cook them at home
- more enjoyable time to share time with your beloved one and family as you will spending and it could be become a part of the activities
- improve the communication in the society as you will build up and restore the communication network between farmer and your neighbors and not just picking your own food in the cold environment in supermarket
- build up a sustainable food system, people will being honest, having strong moral principles and respect of what they are eating
- build up a sustainable life as you will help to reduce package waste by shopping in local farm shops
UK farming
There are approximately 300,000 active farms in UK, average around the size of 57 hectares and they are bigger than Europeans' farm which have around 20 hectares.
There are much more farming area in UK but there are only small amount of farmers and only 65% of agricultural area is used. - http://www.ukagriculture.com/
Agricultural crisis
Mid-sized professional farmers are suffering the most in the crisis, they are being tied to the land with no chance of taking off-farm work. The crisis is spread across all sectors—cereals, dairy, egg and poultry, livestock, and horticulture. The knock-on effects of a crisis in farming, on rural employment, landscape, biodiversity, soil health, tourism etc.—especially in marginal areas with high amenity value—are considerable. The NFU has warned (June 02) of growing problems affecting Britain’s farming industry which could force thousands to leave the land, with low incomes, job losses and poor prices leading to a new crisis in agriculture.
Of the 130,000 farm businesses in England recorded in the agricultural census, roughly half (around 64,000) were above the 0.5 Standard Labour Requirement threshold, and half below. Although farms below the Farm Business Survey minimum size threshold are numerous, they account for only 4% of total agricultural production. However, they account for 10% of total agricultural land area and nearly 30% of total farmers and workers. - http://www.racetothetop.org/indicators/module2/
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