10 Scenes showing how we can grow more sustainable food... Start This is written to help show that ‘Sustainable Intensification’ which aims to intensify production on a limited amount of land – the best land, is not the only way forward to producing more 'sustainable food' These 10 scenes show that there are not BIOLOGICAL determinants to what is grown so much as ECONOMIC determinants. Obviously there are some biological determinants – eg it is difficult to grow tropical crops ion the fells – although pineapples did used to be grown in Cheshire, long before electricity heating systems. Nevertheless, there is massively broad range of biological possibilities - that fter all is the fun of garsdening. Can we see these possibilities in the fields that flash by on the train or in the car? We can see that we could produce more food - especially on the poorer land. But we don’t because it is harder to make profit. If it is cheaper to fly lettuce in from Africa, why go to the effort of growing it here? It may make economic sence, but it means our land is underused. When you look out of the window and see the land, try and work out that it doesn have to be like that. It is quite changeable, and has always changed. There were not always walls and fences. We hear much about the need to produce more food for the hungry billion, and also that another billion are too fat. These seemingly contradictory forces are relatively easily reconciled. The World Health Organisation says: “Fortunately, the strategies needed to create desired changes in nutritional and environmental patterns are often complementary and, as a whole, provide cost-effective, sustainable development for agricultural land….In addition, local strategies that seek to improve the availability of, access to and consumption of locally produced foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, also increase the interdependence and thus the social cohesion between urban and rural dwellers”[
The land could produce a lot more, and more varied and interesting. There may well be some challeneges from those who wish to conservee the land for wildlife and other country pursuits. Both this and more food production can be accomodated and be more involving for all. Much of the land that could be improved for food is not being used for proper conservation, although some people think that neglect is the same as conservation. This will be encouraged in next round of CAP, After 2013, we will encouarage land to go 'fallow' - ie not do anything with it. This new manouvre is to stop over production - the bain of EU and US farm policy for decades. This won't do many birds much good, If we want yellow wagtails and grey partidge - the two chosen BAP species, then we should pay farmers to encourage them directly. Let’s have a look at 10 scenes and see what tale they can tell..... Scenes home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Why doesn’t somebdy calculat eh increased value in investing in this land? And possible contribution to world hunger and climate change, not to mention better food for local people.