Time to waive GST on fruit and vegetables?
IN reply to Jean Balchin (ODT,
16.8.18), I agree the image of middleclass, wealthy vegans is not encouraging and is unrealistic, but as a white, middleclass, person I suggest extending the boundaries to who you follow on social media to see the growing and changing face of veganism.
Search #budgetvegan on Instagram to see how it can be done without goji berries, avocado oil or coconut flour.
Families, mine included, can eat the same foods we grew up on, just vegan versions — and not necessarily from expensive faux substitutes.
Some of my kids’ favourites are lentil shepherds pie, nachos topped with refried kidney and black beans, soup, homemade vegie nuggets, baked beans on toast, and homemade vegan cupcakes. You can also make oat or flaxseed milk for under 50c a litre. Search #vegankids for ideas.
As demand increases, the price will come down for plantbased substitutes. This will make it easier to make ethical decisions.
So yes, veganism can be expensive, but it can also be cheap. It depends what you cook and who you get your inspiration from.
And yes, let’s start campaigning for cheaper fruit and vegetables. Waiving GST would be a great initiative from the Government to help make all diets healthier and kinder.
Hana Deavoll
Queenstown
I WAS impressed by Jean Balchin’s sensitive piece (ODT, 16.8.18) about the challenges facing families on limited incomes who want to include more vegetables and fruit in their meals.
While people are becoming aware of the environmental and health costs of a traditional meateaters’ diet, Jean shows from her own family’s experience the barriers there can be to making changes towards eating more plantbased food.
She acknowledges some of the organisations that try to help people eat well.
One scheme operating in Dunedin which exists to make affordable fresh vegetables and fruit available to people is All Saints’ Fruit & Veges, which supplies a weekly service at wholesale cost to its users.
Every Thursday, orders in three sizes — family, couple and single — are packed in reusable cloth bags (please do return them!) and transported to distribution centres in Caversham, Mosgiel, St Kilda, Green Island, Kaikorai, Northeast Valley and All Saints’ Hall in the campus area for collection by our customers.
All the work is done by volunteers, so cost is kept to a minimum.
Though you do not choose what is in your bag each week, our excellent buyer works hard to give variety and the best value for money.
Cynthia Greensill
Dunedin
Mediocre performance
THE fanfare at the arrival of a new chief executive called Theo Spierings, and the neverending justification by Fonterra board members that he was worth $8 million a year — because that’s what the best cost — now seems a somewhat misguided judgement by the board.
Perhaps that’s what mediocre performance costs?
Hopefully he will take his severance pay and depart. Mark Wallace
Belleknowes
Supporting integrity
I AM writing in support of Monsignor John Harrison, whose integrity is being questioned by Ann Charlotte (ODT letters, 17.8.18).
Msgr Harrison is a dedicated and principled man who promotes spiritual and moral values to the highest standard.
He should not be censured but commended for pointing out a very rational suggestion that some cases of an abuse of a child could be prevented by the parents exercising extra vigilance. Jindra Tichy
Maori Hill