Future of Food

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

Sobering stuff.
What would be a UK grown 'diet'. Thinking of how in Cuba its rice and black beans. Neither grow here and would need to be shipping thousands of miles. What would a staple UK diet look like when we end up in that situation?

[lljkk]

What does it say, that our food choices here in Britain will become severely limited because of global food crisis?

I don't believe that, I reckon ppl in rich countries like Britain will be fine, but people in poor countries will suffer badly. Even more ppl will have to live off the same few (very few) food staples for months (maybe years) at a time.

Remember that historically, most famine-stricken countries have been net-exporters of food. Market forces combined with the alleged food crisis will lead to even bigger social inequalities between world regions.

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

I don't know what conlcusion s it drew as had to take dd to bed at 20 to 10 rather annoyingly.
But the main jist was there is immense pressure on water to grow food all over the world. And oil.
And it showed how much oil and water was needed for certain types of food. A lettuce shipped from India, meat, or homegrown local food.
But any country without the ability to be self sufficient could see massive price rises so that would affect the poor here. The UK could grow more local and have better land use and have more food security.

[GodzillasBumcheek]

I watched the whole thing twice (second time was with the kids, as DH and i went all evangelistic on it), but seeing of the impact of the way we eat on the rest of the world, it made me feel sick to the stomach.

I would also like to know what we can do about it - not necessarily because i think we might starve, but for the impact on other countries and the environment. All those cattle dying...and the dried up carcass of the calf....

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

BBC has an article about Cuba. I think thats the way things will have to go to be sustainable.
here

[GodzillasBumcheek]

Well...we can't afford an allotment
Our local council has priced a lot of people out of them - it's about £100 a year.

On the other hand we only moved in March, but this year DH has grown onions, carrots, radishes, 3 types cabbage (a lot got eaten by caterpillars though), beetroot, parsnips, peas, beans, leeks, and 3 types of tomato.
And it's not a large garden either, we reused spaces when each crop has finished.

Next year (he learns from his mistakes ) the crops will be staggered so we get a longer eating time for the cabbages and carrots etc. That's as much as we know how to do really

Besides being a low fuel/carbon household, anyway (no car, low fuel bills).

Sorry, blabbering aren't I? I'll shuddup now.

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

£100! Bloody hell. Its £10 here.
We grow in pots as our tiny garden has no flower beds as such. Just concrete slabs but there is a greenhouse.

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

I would kill for an allotment! The waiting list is 6 years currently. I know one family who has one but they don't even bloddy use it! I offered to take over the rent but they said no.

[GodzillasBumcheek]

That's not fair.

(to both of you!)

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

there's still some spare here apparently.

[Meglet]

Anyone watching it tonight? I missed it last week. Am sitting here feeling thoroughly ashamed about being a greey pig westerner.

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

was on last night. Bum.

[Sonnet]

The UK is becoming less and less self sufficient - we even import more apples now then we grow which is s tupid!

Concreating over many parts of the UK with mass housing estates is not helping either....
Where I live we will be loosing 1000's and 1000's of acres of arable land for 45,000 houses!!
So we might have aroof over our head but will be unable to feed ourselves!

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

its alarming. Just watching the second epiesode now.
Seems sensible. More plant based foods, more local foods, less meat, and for now, either no fish or line caught fish only.
But poeple wont change

[GodzillasBumcheek]

Yes, it's alarming. Especially if (like me ) you rely on someone else to do the cooking who 'needs' meat in most of his meals (not in huge quantities though!).

I will definately be checking where my food has come from when i shop now. Unfortunately i doubt most people will change. The twins are objecting quite strongly to the notion that i have suggested a dramatic cut-down of cake/crisps/biscuits coming into the house. And we had a bit of a tiff where the unethical purchase of ice pops were concerned too

I think i sound like a bit of a prat. Am i going too far or not far enough?

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

I try and buy local if its available. Thats one problem. Like the apples, all the UK apples but in the shops they are from bloody NZ. 12,000 miles away!

[GodzillasBumcheek]

fortunately we have a very good market here where i can usually get locally grown produce. and then there's always scrumping