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Welcome to:
 East Staffordshire Borough Council: Homepage > A - Z of Services > Climate Change > What You Can Do > In The Home > Sustainable Food
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Council Essentials
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If you do just one thing – buy local food – give it a go!
The problem ....
- One way to reduce to your carbon footprint in everyday life is to be aware when you go shopping and buy sustainable food
- There is no formal definition for ‘Sustainable food’ but this phrase takes into account the process from ‘field to fork’
- ‘Field to fork’ is the distance food travels from production to consumption and is measured in food miles
- This travel adds substantially to the carbon dioxide emissions that are contributing to climate change
- Around 18% of UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are related to food production and consumption (Food Matters – The Strategy Unit, July 2008)
- Contributing to the reduction of these emissions is a great place to start
- A key word in the concept of Sustainable Food is “local” - minimising energy used in food production, transport and storage
- Food travels further these days than ever before, Ninety-five per cent of the fruit and half of the vegetables in the UK are imported
- Food also travels considerable distances within the UK because the centralised systems of supermarkets have taken over from local and regional markets. A pint of milk may be transported many miles to be packaged at a central depot and then sent back to be sold near where it was produced in the first place
- Ideally food should be produced, processed and traded in ways that contribute to local economy and sustainable livelihoods at home and abroad
- These methods of production should also protect the diversity of wildlife, avoid damaging natural resources and help reduce climate change.
- Supporting local produce will in turn provide social benefits, such as good quality food, safe and healthy products, and educational opportunities for local residents
What can I do ....
- Purchase locally sourced food - it is worth visiting Local Farmers Markets or looking around for your local farm shops.
- On the last Friday of every month Burton Market Place holds a local market (www.bigbarn.co.uk) as does Uttoxeter on the last Saturday of every month.
- Other local farmer markets include Lichfield and Stafford, the information for these can be located at (www.farmersmarkets.net)
- There is no better way to reduce food miles than by growing your own, either in your own back garden (no food miles) or taking on an allotment (minimal food miles).
- Allotment gardening will not only will this provide you with good healthy and cheap seasonal food but also fresh air and exercise for you and all the family
- Allotments have cast off their image of a male refuge from the family and have welcomed families as well as creating ‘starter plots’ for those who feel that a full size plot would be too much of a challenge at first
- The satisfaction of harvesting and eating your own fresh, organic vegetables and then eating them has to be experienced to be fully appreciated
- There are many other positives for individuals that decide to begin to purchase sustainable food
- As buying local produce means that the food hasn’t travelled as far, this food is less likely to have had preservatives added to it and is therefore healthier
- This food is likely to be organic (grown without artificial fertilisers and pesticides) and therefore promotes a healthier lifestyle
Useful Links
Related pages ....
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