Last night's Horizon programme on BBC2 had Professor Lesley Regan, from St Mary's Hospital, Paddington examining (amongst other things) whether we should buy the so called superfoods, probiotics and organic food. Some have already questioned whether the professor (an obstetrician) had the correct qualifications to do this programme, but I felt it made good television and, as a medically qualified person, she clearly used science more than some of the marketing agencies do who promote the food we buy.
Her conclusion was that she would not be selecting any of the above foods. I have always had mixed views about organic farming. I know many organic farmers and growers and they're all nice people who care passionately about what they do. But some of their rules seem a bit arbitrary. My understanding is that they can't use guano (a naturally occurring phosphate fertiliser made from the droppings from seabirds, sales of which helped pay for Tyntesfield) but they can use basic slag (a byproduct from steel making)!
My son showed me an article in The Economist (Good Food, Dec 7th, 2006). The article starts by saying "If you think you can make the planet better by clever shopping, think again. You might make it worse" It points out that tropical rainforests are being destroyed partly because more food is required to support the expanding world population. Organic production needs more acres than conventional because yields are less. The article argues that Fairtrade may even be harming non-Fairtrade farmers by driving down their prices and the vast majority of farm workers, who work on plantations, are outside the Fairtrade scheme.
The article is well worth a read. It concludes "The idea of saving the world by shopping is appealing; but tackling climate change, boosting development and reforming the global trade system will require difficult political choices. Conventional political activity may not be as enjoyable as shopping, but it is far more likely to make a difference.
Her conclusion was that she would not be selecting any of the above foods. I have always had mixed views about organic farming. I know many organic farmers and growers and they're all nice people who care passionately about what they do. But some of their rules seem a bit arbitrary. My understanding is that they can't use guano (a naturally occurring phosphate fertiliser made from the droppings from seabirds, sales of which helped pay for Tyntesfield) but they can use basic slag (a byproduct from steel making)!
My son showed me an article in The Economist (Good Food, Dec 7th, 2006). The article starts by saying "If you think you can make the planet better by clever shopping, think again. You might make it worse" It points out that tropical rainforests are being destroyed partly because more food is required to support the expanding world population. Organic production needs more acres than conventional because yields are less. The article argues that Fairtrade may even be harming non-Fairtrade farmers by driving down their prices and the vast majority of farm workers, who work on plantations, are outside the Fairtrade scheme.
The article is well worth a read. It concludes "The idea of saving the world by shopping is appealing; but tackling climate change, boosting development and reforming the global trade system will require difficult political choices. Conventional political activity may not be as enjoyable as shopping, but it is far more likely to make a difference.
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