Birmingham Friends of the Earth Newsletter February 2002/March 2002
Buying Local could be the most radical thing you do today
As the ISEC food roadshow, back in November, highlighted, food and farming issues
provide an excellent example of the problems of economic globablisation. For
one, they are so close to home. And for another, they reach into almost every
sector of public importance: health, economics, environment, communities, security
of food.
The notion of local, as opposed to global, food is a very topical one too. Sustain,
the national coalition group ( like the Trade Justice Movement in concept) "for
better food and farming", has recently published a report on food miles entitled
"Eating Oil". Farmers' markets continue to hold the attention of middle England.
The not-for-profit company called BigBarn, a national directory for local food
and drink producers, has been winning prizes in the e-world. DEFRA are supposedly
providing financial support for a Foundation for Local Food Initiatives. What
better time for Birmingham FOE to "muck in"?
Jeremy Beacock and I hope therefore to compile some form of local food directory
for the Birmingham area over the next few months. This would provide local people
with the knowledge to try to take their consumption of local produce to a new
level, beyond just a fortnightly visit to a farmers' market. As many have pointed
out, the markets are at present generally connecting with two particular segments
of the public: the wealthier, and the elder. If we can advertise a few more of
the potential sources of local food, such as those small retailers who could
still be termed "local", then we might be able to push the recent fashion on a
step.
With help from Karen Leach and Mike Bekin, numerous ideas have been voiced, and
the present format proposed is a basic 20 - 30 page booklet arranged first by
area, then by food. We hope to include both direct sources of local food (farm
shops, farmers' markets, box schemes, etc) as well as small local retailers whose
stock is in part local (though what part is a talking point). We have spoken
to some of the farmers at the markets in New Street and Moseley, and Ian Hannington
of Marsh Farm near Bromsgrove is taking a major role in aiding the project. He
and some others from the council, Moseley Forum and local LETS met with us last
week to discuss the issues. Realistically, with the time available, it's going
to be a matter of just doing what one can.
In tandem with the directory, we have begun some public awareness work at some
of the farmers' markets, again with the support of Ian Hannington. I think that
these awareness days are invaluable. Farmers' markets are not what Joe Public
sees as FoE's typical scratching block. And wanting to buy carrots with soil and
knobs from down the road, just like back in the old days, is hardly their idea
of the anti-globalisation movements' ideal. Many people seem to have accepted
the media-fed notion that anti-globalisation is just violence and anarchy. In
promoting local farmers and their produce we could be making important connections
in the public's mind.
We had our first stall this Wednesday at the New Street market. Karen, James
Botham and I distributed some 350 bfoe leaflets about local/global food and related
benefits/problems, plus loads of other info about websites, directories, and
of course the odd "Action Briefing". Two large posters were set down: "Buying local
produce could be the most important thing you do today." The farmers were very
approving and supportive, and we hope to keep the pressure on the public over
the next few months to really bring the messages home.
Future market dates that will be attended are: New Street - 6th Feb, 20th Feb,
6th March, 20th March. Moseley - 23rd February, 23rd March. We hope to have our
own stall provided by the market operators at all of these events.
If you would like to support the project, either by manning one of the stalls
at a market or in compiling the directory then please email me at rcavebigley@yahoo.co.uk.
Ideas and suggestions very much appreciated!
Richard Cave-Bigley
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