Two interesting broadcasts in recent days. Sunday's The Food Programme was an assessment of where the local food movement is currently at. The most important bit of which was a look at North West regional retailer Booths. A strong emphasis on sourcing from local producers, be it a cooperative of farmers able to supply all of their stores or an individual farm supplying just their nearest outlet. All under one roof, with an adjacent car park. A 'supermarket', if you want to be fluffy on definitions.
Then this morning's Farming Today played a snippet of the Secretary of State's speech at the Conservative conference. She said with some pride that she was about to be taken to court by those opposed to meat and dairy; reference to the Global Feedback case. She said that fake meat was for astronauts, and she would defend livestock agriculture from attacks by zealots. I think she used the word zealots three times in 30 seconds. It was a lazy speech looking for easy hits. And she was bang on the money.
Two programmes then that neatly summarize the prejudices to be overcome. Farmers are wrong when they dismiss calls for a more sustainable food system as being naive and out of touch with modern lifestyles. Campaign groups are wrong when they demand less meat and dairy, as all they are doing is using bad science to alienate themselves from those who would otherwise be their allies.
There is common ground, and it is called localization. If both sides would only recognize this common ground, they could together move mountains.
Then this morning's Farming Today played a snippet of the Secretary of State's speech at the Conservative conference. She said with some pride that she was about to be taken to court by those opposed to meat and dairy; reference to the Global Feedback case. She said that fake meat was for astronauts, and she would defend livestock agriculture from attacks by zealots. I think she used the word zealots three times in 30 seconds. It was a lazy speech looking for easy hits. And she was bang on the money.
Two programmes then that neatly summarize the prejudices to be overcome. Farmers are wrong when they dismiss calls for a more sustainable food system as being naive and out of touch with modern lifestyles. Campaign groups are wrong when they demand less meat and dairy, as all they are doing is using bad science to alienate themselves from those who would otherwise be their allies.
There is common ground, and it is called localization. If both sides would only recognize this common ground, they could together move mountains.