Demand for organic food growing

CHELTENHAM ACTIVIST NETWORK

THE coronavirus pandemic has led to a big increase in demand for organic local food.

People have become more aware of the relationship between nutrition and health. They have realized that food bought in supermarkets may have come from far away and be not necessarily produced to standards which apply in this country.

The food industry is dominated by agribusiness, farming designed to maximise output using many herbicides and pesticides.

These are not good for us to eat and can damage nature and wildlife. The current trend to sustainably produced organic food is being encouraged by local farmers.

FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group South West) can help them.

Farming is an important part of the Gloucestershire economy.

Marketing is vital because farmers work long hours and may not have time to organize their own marketing.

But large firms dominate supplies to supermarkets and large organisations.

It can be difficult for smaller farmers to get a foothold.

New food purchasing systems are being trialed which would allow public sector bodies to buy food from small farmers on a flexible basis instead of relying on fixed term contracts with large businesses.

Gloucestershire Food Strategy is an initiative which recognizes the importance of eating local food.

It would like to see Gloucestershire become a ‘Sustainable Food County’.

It wants to educate people about the merits of healthy food instead of junk food.

It is exploring the possibility that local schools might buy local food.

Local food means much shorter supply chains.

This reduces transport costs and is better for the environment.

This is all encouraging. But the elephant in the room is the proposed UK-US trade deal.

The National Farmers Union have fought tooth and nail against allowing US imports of cheap poor quality food to undercut British farmers.

More than one million people have signed their petition urging the Conservative Government to protect UK food standards in future trade deals.

We must hope the Government takes notice.

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