As previously posted on Ecomonkey, Defra (department for environment, food and rural affairs) are running an online interactive discussion in conjunction with department for health and food standards agency to plan our future food system. It is not entirely clear how much of a consultation process the discussion will turn out to be but comments are invited. If you have an opinion about our food system, let it be known. Add it to the plethora of predominantly sensible and future-sighted advice given by others and let's turn hope into demands that our collective wise words and sustainable ideas are put into action.
Defra have proposed statements about where our food system is heading and what they are aiming for. What kind of society, environment and ways do we want our food to be 'produced, processed, distributed and consumed'? Read Defra's statements here and give your own views on the objectives and/or re-draft them as you see fit. The forum closes on 16th October so please post your ideas and forward the link to friends and collegues to ensure that as many people as possible get the chance to have their say on this vitally important issue.
Ecomonkey's response: We agree with many of the previous comments indicating that these proposals are somewhat insipid. The time for pacifying self-serving corporations and profit-driven businesses, particularly supermarkets, is OVER. The time for making REAL, VALUABLE difference is NOW!
Because of the quite certifiable mess we have gotten ourselves into (and we're ALL responsible - government departments, supermarkets, individuals, devout organics and passionate vegans alike) the way to make real positive change to our food system is not through softly-softly, trim-a-little-bit-here, add-a-bit-on-there approach. We need, nay demand, radical change. The answers have been spelt out, over and over on these Food2030 pages by different people coming from various angles but all with the same need - for food that is of the highest standards nutritiously, ethically and sustainably. Oh, and we'd quite like it today, not in 20 years time, thanks very much.
To reiterate, we need:
• LOCAL, ORGANIC, SEASONAL fruit, veg, nuts, pulses etc
• Additional FAIRTRADE and ORGANIC fruit, veg, nuts, pulses from countries that need our trade support
• LOCAL, ORGANIC & FREE-RANGE meat (in greatly reduced quantities and far higher quality)
• LOCAL, SUSTAINABLY CAUGHT (not farmed) fish
• Opportunity for all to GROW OUR OWN on shared space or private land (not at the expense of others)
• EDUCATION provided free for adults and children in organic food growing, preparation and cooking
• GOVERNMENT SUPPORT in all these endeavours that is active, effective and immediate
[LOCAL = within suburb if available, if not then within city, then county, then area within country, then country, then close area within continent (e.g. western Europe)
SEASONAL = that which is grown without artificial means in its natural season (as designed - with good reason - by mother nature!)
ORGANIC = Soil Association standards minimum
FREE-RANGE = animals provided with more than adequate space to roam and fed only natural food
FAIRTRADE = Fairtrade Association standards]
These are no brainer rules for improving our nation's health & nutrition, our education, providing and supporting local jobs, encouraging exercise and fitness, supporting organic farms and farmers which in turn supports our soil and land quality as well as animal welfare which in turn means a viable and secure future for UK food.
What we don't need:
• We do not need corporations and supermarkets controlling the kind of food we consume, creating unhealthy competition, underpaying farmers and producers (both in the UK and abroad), paying for advertising that creates unthinking consumers out of us, mis-labelling food ingredients, country of origin and conditions of production
• We do not need a government that allows the above to take place
• We do not need cheap imported food that does not meet our own high ethical and sustainable standards and consequently undermines our health, future and food security
• We do not need unrecyclable and/or excessive packaging
• We do not need over processed or fast food at the expense of nutrition
• We do not need genetically modified food, products or ingredients either for our own human consumption, our livestock feed or to export abroad for either purpose. Why waste more time, effort and finance on 'new, emerging and existing technologies' (I think we all know what this means) when we need to concentrate these resources on more traditional, proven ways of growing nutritious food effectively - i.e. organic farming and permaculture!
• We do not need to support business that is profit driven above providing long-term useful, healthy service and/or products. Does it really need to be said that increased economic productivity, international competitiveness and diverse trade links mean nothing if there is little healthy food to eat, few jobs and widespread illness and disenchantment!
• We do not need to feed the 'growing global population' outside of the UK, particularly financially poor nations, by growing food for or selling food to them. This feigned desire to help our global family is a thinly veiled attempt to raise revenue for the UK economy. If, instead of throwing 'aid', unfair trade, rubbish food/seeds and unsustainable ideas at the global poor, we support less financially developed countries to produce their own organic sustainable food to feed themselves (and practice what we preach by doing the same ourselves), perhaps the population growth will even itself out. As living standards, health, education and equality increase, the desire to produce lots of children - in order to support the family and counteract high death rates due to poverty, disease and war - will diminish.
• We do not need to feed the 'growing population' within the UK by feeding ourselves cheap, unhealthy food. This feigned desire to provide 'affordable' food is a thinly veiled attempt to make money whilst keeping the classes (poorest/poor/rich/richest) separate and divided. If, instead of throwing fast and cheap, unethical, poor quality, over processed, non-nutritious and unsustainable food and ideas at UK shoppers, we support each other to produce our own organic sustainable food to feed ourselves (and sell/trade what we don’t need), perhaps the population growth will even itself out. As living standards, health, fitness, education and equality improves, the desire to produce lots of children - in order to support the family, gain financial benefits, pass the time and fill in the gaps created by over consumption and despair - will diminish.
Redrafted outcomes for The Food System:
We are aiming for food that is grown, shared and eaten...
...in a society where:
• Everyone receives free, constructive education on the cycle of growing, cooking, eating organic food and recycling waste into compost for growing
• Everyone has easy access to affordable organic food
• Everyone has easy access to local land space for growing food either privately or as a community. Previously private, unused land is shared amongst those who do not own private land space
• Locally grown and produced, organic, seasonal, fairly traded, ethical and sustainable food is the norm
• Less meat is produced and eaten. What is available is of the highest ethical and sustainable standards yet affordable for all (albeit in smaller quantities than are currently available)
• Food origin is made clear through education and clear, compulsory, independently certified labelling of food sold commercially so everyone is able to make informed choices about what we eat
• Everyone is encouraged to treat food as the vital source of well-being and enjoyment that it is through food festivals (e.g. organic weeks), holidays (e.g. harvest celebrations) and activities such as WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)
...in an environment where:
• Food systems give priority to the production of natural, nutritious food for local consumption, soil and land protection, wildlife and ecosystem support, reduction of negative climate change effects and minimising carbon emissions from growth, production, packaging, transport and retail of food
• Individuals, households, families and communities thrive by taking advantage of increased nutrition, health, fitness and education
• Food related industries conform to the needs of individuals and the ecological environment by down-scaling, specialising in appropriate local produce and cutting costs
• It is recognized that economic productivity is dependent on and therefore should never be prioritised above the nutrition, health and well-being of citizens
• The supply of food is dependant on the actions of individuals as much as companies and organisations in which risk may be an issue
• When surplus food is sold internationally and food brought in from abroad, trade takes place on the principles of fair trade where neither the farmers, producers, suppliers, purchasers, retailers nor end consumers are disadvantaged by the trade
...in ways which:
• Promote the highest standards of ethical and sustainable human health and nutrition depleting current 'need' for excessive pharmaceuticals and intensive medicinal intervention
• Promote the highest standards of ethical and sustainable animal health and welfare negating the need for routine pharmaceutical and medical intervention
• Promote the highest standards of ethical and sustainable soil and land use preserving soil quality, healthy ecosystems and wildlife for future generations
• Use fairly traded global natural resources as appropriate without causing disadvantage to global suppliers, land occupiers and citizens
• Use new, emerging and existing technologies only when appropriate for enhancing the inherent natural, ethical and sustainable nature of the food system.
• Demonstrate and advocate to other nations an effective, positive and workable example of highly ethical and sustainable food production and consumption
Further Info:
Defra Food 2030 / Soil Association / Fairtrade Foundation / Free Range Review / Slow Food UK
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The Sustainable Development Commission released a report last week called Setting The Table. It offers advice to governments on how elements of sustainability in food should be prioritised to maximise health, wellbeing, ethics and sustainability. The insight that there need not be a difficult decision between one or another of these factors is key to making a valuable difference to the 
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What do we dream of now? Have our ambitions altered drastically along the path from childhood to adult? Do we still dream colourful dreams or have we been drawn in to the idea of a future revolving around life on a technological super-planet ruled by consumerism, where some of us can do just about anything we like and buy almost everything we (think we) want, whilst the rest... well, they don't really matter, do they?
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They say the devil makes work for idle hands. They talk a lot but is there some truth to the statement? Or is the reality, perhaps, that we, 'the common people' are easier to control when we are too busy with the burden of constant duty, with all consuming workloads and the frantic speed of our lives? We have less control over our own lives if we perceive ourselves as being too busy to sit for more than a single moment and simply be?
