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  • From: Pete Vukovich <pvukovic1@yahoo.com>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Britain must grow more sustainable food, says Benn
  • Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 21:36:00 -0800 (PST)

I don't think any of this is going one direction on any continent. There's an interesting book called 'profitable organic farming' which discusses various eu countries marketshares/ %'s of land in organic production, along with a little history and cultural information written by John Newton. According to Newton, something like 75% of sustainable/organic food consumed in britain was until recently produced outside of Britain -  which at the time represented the 3rd largest organic market in the world. I haven't had time to finish the book, but it looks pretty well documented.

One obvious difference is Britain is aware that its going to continue to be a net importer of fossil fuel energy and they are clear that when they draw down on oil discoveries in the north sea they aren't expecting more to magically appear. They also probably realize where some of that imported energy (particularly lng) is coming from. Contrasted with the united states which as of last year was still being told beautiful fictions about having  '300 years of  domestic 'clean' coal' or '75+ years worth of domestic natural gas' , not to mention potentially huge as of yet undiscovered fields in the middle of anwar.



--- On Tue, 1/5/10, Tradingpost <tradingpost@lobo.net> wrote:

From: Tradingpost <tradingpost@lobo.net>
Subject: [Livingontheland] Britain must grow more sustainable food, says Benn
To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 5:01 PM


Question is why this is suddenly happening now, if there's nothing to be concerned about. Why is the British government worried about food security and we're not? What are we not being told?
-----------------

Britain must grow more sustainable food, says Benn
Tuesday 5 January 2010 09.43 GMT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jan/05/uk-farming-2030-food-report

   Proposals for national food strategy calls for UK farming 'revolution' in response to climate change and food security. Britain must grow more food, while using less water and reducing emission of greenhouse gases, to respond to the challenge of climate change and growing world populations, the environment secretary, Hilary Benn, said yesterday. "Food security is as important to this country's future wellbeing, and the world's, as energy security. We need to produce more food. We need to do it sustainably. And we need to make sure what we eat safeguards our health," he said.
   Launching the government's food strategy for the next 20 years with a speech to the Oxford Farming Conference, he proposed a consumer-led, technological revolution to transform UK farming. "We know that the consequences of the way we produce and consume our food are unsustainable to our planet and to ourselves," he said. "We know we are at one of those moments in our history where the future of our economy, our environment, and our society will be shaped by the choices we make now." He said consumers, rather than retailers, should lead by buying "greener" food, wasting less and growing more of their own: "People power can help bring about a revolution in the way food is produced and sold."
   The government aims to develop a "meanwhile" lease for landowners and voluntary groups wishing to set up temporary allotments on land awaiting development. One in three people in the UK grows fruit and vegetables, according to a survey commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Ministers believe the move could foster community spirit and skills as well as physical and mental health. The cross-departmental strategy report, Food 2030, also supports farmers' markets to raise consumption of local produce.


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