Encouraging Local Sourcing of Fresh Food Supplies
With the majority of our members in Europe, India and beyond facing enforced stay-at-home conditions, it is probably an appropriate moment to reflect on our own food production systems. And, in view of the current disastrous situation, to create innovative solutions for the production, distribution and consumption of healthy, seasonal and local foods in the future.
Patrick Holden, the CEO of the Sustainable Food Trust, was on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme talking about the implications of the current pandemic on the security and resilience of our food systems.
He proposes that key actions should include:
- For citizens in our role as consumers, we should commit to sourcing as much local and sustainable food as is consistent with our particular household needs and capacity;
- We can identify all the producers who are farming near to us who would like to increase their percentage of local sales, contact them, and ask how they can supply us;
- Farmers and growers could approach local independent food shops and ask if they would consider stocking their products; they could register their existence on local food websites; they could also collaborate with others to establish ‘pop-up’ farmers markets where their customers order online;
- Action from Governments could include establishing a national umbrella website which holds all the constellations of regional and local food platforms and they could offer immediate cash grants to producers who wish to improve their local food production, processing, packing and distribution infrastructure.
For more details, please read his blog.
[Thanks to member Michael F]
