An audience of assembly members and invited
guests heard how policy makers could take the opportunity
to improve the health, wealth and well-being of Wales by buying
more locally-produced food.
Dr Martin Caraher of the Centre for Food
Policy in London was the speaker at a BBC Wales lecture at
the Regeneration Insitute, Cardiff University. He praised
the Assembly Government’s focus on nutrition but suggested
more could be done to regenerate local communities by looking
at the entire food chain. He suggested that the public sector
could look at its tendering processes to help procurement
from smaller local companies.
A recent survey has suggested that the
UK is a worst energy waster than France, Germany, Spain or
Italy. The survey interviewed 5,000 peole across Europ for
the Habits of a Lifetime report, commissioned to mark the
start of Energy Saving Week.
British consumers admitted to leaving lights switched on and
mobile phone chargers plugged in. 71% admitted that they left
appliances on standby at least once a week.
Welsh food companies will have to
wait until 23rd November to see if they have won an award
at this year’s ‘Oscars’ for the sector.
The True Taste Wales Food and Drink Awards 2006/07 will be
announced at a glittering ceremony at the National Cricket
Centre in Cardiff. The shortlist for the “Best Organic
Product” categories has been announced. Welsh Farm Organics,
Harmony Herd, Organic Aran Lamb, Crai Organics, Bacheldre
Watermill and Caws Cenarth Cheese are all in the running for
a prestigious award.
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The annual Soil Association Organic
Food Awards were presented by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
on 1st September to herald the start of this year’s
Organic Food Fortnight. Raymond Blanc and Sophie Grigson were
amongst the judges. Several Welsh food companies won awards
for their products. Caws Cenarth Cheese won a Gold Award for
their Caerffili cheese. Bacheldre Mill won Gold for their
unbleached strong blend flour and Silver for their spelt flour.
Cambrian Organics beef was awarded Silver and a Bronze award
went to Gwaun Valley Meats gammon. Graig Farm Organics picked
up a trio of awards; Gold for their sea bass, Silver for their
beef and Bronze for their smoked mutton ham.
A group of 14 scientists from Liverpool and Glasgow Universities
have urged the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to publicly acknowledge
that there is compelling evidence that organic milk is a richer
source of omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk. The
scientists found that on average organic milk contained 69%
more omega-3, believed to be partly due to the cows’
higher clover diets. The FSA has agreed to look at the latest
findings, but it has previously refused to recognise that
organic and conventional foods might differ nutritionally.
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Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s have faced a backlash
of criticism over their announcement that they each plan to
trial their own versions of organic box schemes. Tesco will
test its ‘Fenland Organics’ vegetable boxes in
South London from September. Ten items will cost £11.00
and Tesco’s expects to deliver around 600 boxes a week
from its Croydon store. Sainsbury’s will be trialling
its ‘So Organic’ box scheme of eight items for
£15.00 to 500,000 customers in the East Midlands and
East Anglia from the end of August. Critics say the supremarkets’
plans are contrary to the ethos of box schemes being about
connecting consumers directly to small local food producers
to deliver fresh produce, reduce food miles and support the
local economy.
A new survey of consumer attitudes to food miles shows
that the over 50s are far more likey to be concerned than
young adults. The survey of 997 shoppers was carried out by
the British Market Research Bureau. They found that overall
61% of shoppers were unconcerned as to where their fruit and
veg came from, with only 36% being aware of the food miles
issue. 43% of 16 to 25 year olds didn’t know if the
fruit and veg they bought was grown in Britain or not, while
54% of the over 50s surveyed said that they regularly bought
produce grown in this country.
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The Organic Centre Wales reports that staff on hand at their
marquee at this year’s Royal Welsh Show dealt with a
record number of enquiries from farmers interested in conversion
to organic farming. In January 2006, there were 6% more registered
organic producers in Wales than in 2005, according to the
Soil Association’s Organic Market Report.
The first long-term study of the economic impact in China
of genetically modified cotton has shown that although it
was designed to resist certain pests, it could actually increase
pesticide use for ‘secondary’ pests. Researchers
from Cornell University found that over seven years of growing
the ‘Bt cotton’, the costs of increased pesticide
use and expensive GM seeds resulted in the Chinese farmers
in the trial receiving 8% less net income than conventional
farmers. In response, the Soil Association has condemned new
British Government plans to promote genetically modified crops
in developing countries.
This year’s drought and heatwave has meant that UK wheat
and barley crops are being harvested earlier even than during
the infamous summer of 1976. Farming Today reports that what
little rain has fallen in recent weeks has been in sharp downpours
which have quickly run off the topsoil and not relieved the
drought conditions. Some crop yields have been affected by
up to 40%. Producers across the continent have also warned
that the market could face shortages of cauliflowers, potatoes,
Brussel sprouts, carrots, broccoli, spinach and onions.
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The organisers of the fifth annual True
Taste Food & Drink Awards are encouraging food producers
across Wales to enter the competition. Managed by the Welsh
Assembly Government, the awards recognise quality, innovation
and excellence in the Welsh food and drink industry. Categories
include the hotly-contested ‘True Taste Best Organic
Product’. More than 200 companies and 500 products entered
the prestigious awards last year.
This year, a new category has been introduced
which will be open for public votes. People across Wales are
asked to nominate their favourite place to eat out. The ‘True
Taste Eating Out in Wales’ award will reward excellence
in preparing, serving and promoting food and drink from Wales
on the premises. Cafes, tearooms, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants
(including hotel restaurants open to non-residents) can all
be nominated. The judging panel will then assess all entries
and produce a shortlist. These will then be visited by a ‘mystery
shopper’ who will assess the premises, food quality,
sourcing and overall dining experience.
The closing date for entries and
nominations is 30th June. Entry forms are available from 0800
085 3663 or you can enter online at www.walesthetruetaste.com.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday
23rd November at the National Cricket Centre in Cardiff and
will be featured on the ITV Wales TV series, ‘The Food
Show’.
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Research for the Soil Association shows
that organic farming delivers 46% more jobs in Wales than
non-organic farms. This is mainly due to the actual system
of husbandry required by organic farming. Organic farmers
have an average age of 49 years, compared with the average
age of a non-organic farmer at 56, and is more confident that
their family will grow up to take on the farm in the future.
The organic farmer is three times more likely to be involved
in direct or local marketing schemes. The survey results were
launched by the Soil Association in conjunction with the Transport
& General Workers Union.
A programme for ITV West Eye View revealed
butchers in Gloucestershire, Somerset and Dorset were selling
non-organic meat as organic, contrary to UK and EU law which
protects the organic standards. A Soil Association licensee
was also found to be selling meat products without the appropriate
licence. Trading Standards and the Soil Association both plan
to increase investigations and spot checks to counter what
is feared might be a growing problem of fraud, due to the
increasing success of the organic meat market. The Soil Association
believes that the best way to ensure trust in organic products
is still direct communication between the producer and consumers.
The National Trust has launched a
competition to find the UK’s ugliest vegetables. In
response to retailers who place an emphasis on ‘perfect-looking’
fruit and vegetables for their consumers and so demand uniformity
from their suppliers, the National Trust wants to celebrate
the wonders of ugly veg. The competition is open to individuals
and schools, and aims to promote growing your own vegetables
which taste great but might look a bit more ‘unusual’.
The closing date is Friday 1st September 2006. The National
Trust’s website gives more details; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/uglyveg
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A study by the New Economics Foundation and the Open University
has found that 16 April 2006 is the date this year when the
UK runs out of its own natural resources and becomes dependent
on imported supplies of goods including food. The findings
show that if annual global consumption matched the UK’s
ecological footprint, we would need 3.1 planets to meet the
demand for resources.
An annual Soil Association survey shows that the percentage
of organic food sourced in Britain available in supermarkets
is increasing each year due to public pressure against food
miles. Waitrose and Marks & Spencer source 89% of their
organic staple foods from the UK, while Sainsburys sources
86%. An average of 40% of organic apples were sourced from
the UK last year, which was up from 24% in 2004. 73% of organic
onions available come from Britain, which increased from 38%
in the previous year. All supermarkets sourced at least 90%
of their organic lamb from the UK. Tesco has increased its
purchases of organic beef and pork from the UK after facing
criticism for importing organic beef from Argentina in 2004.
However, Morrisons still sources just 30% of its organic beef
from the UK, while Asda sources only 30% of its organic pork
from Britain.
35,000 birds on a poultry farm in Hockering, Norfolk, have
been culled following an outbreak of a strain of bird flu.
Initial tests suggest the strain to be H7 rather than the
H5N1 variant. An outbreak of H7N7 in the Netherlands in 2003
infected more than 80 people, but it is less of a threat to
humans than the H5N1 virus, which has so far killed over 100
people in Asia. A whooper swan’s body washed up in Cellardyke,
Fife, at the end of March tested positive for H5N1 but was
decided to have probably come from outside of the UK.
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The race is on for the first official ‘cittaslow’
town in Wales. Llandeilo, Machynlleth and Mold are all hoping
to join the international movement to celebrate local produce
and boost food tourism. The Slow Food Association was formed
in Italy as a response to fast food culture. Ludlow, Shropshire,
was the UK’s first recognised ‘cittaslow’
(‘slow city’ in Italian). Aspiring towns need
to have a lack of fast food outlets, a thriving arts culture
and a good range of quality cafes, restaurants and shops.
The three Welsh towns in the running for ‘cittaslow’
status are forming action groups and planning food festivals
as part of their application bids.
Weather presenter, Siân Lloyd, and
her fiancé, Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Öpik, visited
the Centre of Alternative Technology to officially open a
new renewable energy display. Siân Lloyd has provided
voiceovers for some of the elements, which look at all the
energy options available to allow visitors to make up their
own minds. The new display is part of a £550,000 redevelopment
at CAT’s site near Machynlleth. Siân and Lembit
are keen supporters of renewable energy and hope to use it
to power their own home.
Despite a drier than average winter,
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water has issued a statement to reassure customers
that it has no plans to restrict water supplies. The announcement
follows the introduction of hosepipe bans by water companies
in the south-east of England to tackle their impending drought
crisis. Welsh Water says that its reservoirs are still 92-97%
full but they do ask customers to always use water wisely,
not wastefully.
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Free-range and organic poultry farmers have been told to be
ready to bring their birds indoors as art of measures to tackle
any outbreak of bird flu in Britain. The Government’s
Animal Health Minister, Ben Bradshaw, has said that cases
of avian flu in migrating wild birds in mainland Europe makes
an outbreak of the disease in Britain increasingly likely.
So far, the H5N1 virus has been confirmed in France, Austria,
Turkey, Slovenia, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and Germany. Poultry
keepers with 50 or more birds are required to register with
Defra by the end of the month, to provide a central database
of information to control any outbreak in the UK. But, according
to industry estimates, there are at least 250,000 small scale
poultry owners in Britain who are not required to register.
The Government’s chief vet, Debby Reynolds, has admitted
that the authorities would be reliant on the media to relay
information and advice to these “hobby farmers”.
Welsh organic lamb is being exported to Italy to feed schoolchildren
in the capital city. The authorities in Rome spend £2.40
per child on 140,00 organic school meals each day and have
ordered in the prime Welsh lamb in response to taste tests.
This contrasts to spending in Wales of 37p to 60p per child.
The city council was impressed by the meat’s quality
and integrity throughout the supply chain.
The Prince of Wales dined on Welsh organic mutton from Graig
Farm at a gala dinner heldat the Ritz to celebrate the launch
of the Mutton Renaissance Club. Prince Charles spoke of his
support for the quality, sustainably-farmed meat which is
slowly coming back in to fashion with top restaurants and
celebrity chefs.
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The House of Rhug organic farm shop in
Corwen, Denbighshire, was a finalist at the inaugural ‘Best
Rural Retailer’ Awards organised by the Countryside
Alliance. Thirteen finalists were chosen from 600 nominations,
with the victory being awarded to Weeton’s grocers in
Harrogate. The House of Rhug won the North Wales regional
award.
The BBC has launched its annual Springwatch
survey, in association with the Woodland Trust and the UK
Phenology Network. They are looking for your first sighting
this Spring of each of the following: frog spawn, peacock
butterfly, seven-spot ladybird, flowering hawthorn, red-tailed
bumblebee and swifts. The information will contribute to research
into climate change. Scientists will have a better understanding
of how the seasons are changing and how to help Britain’s
wildlife. To take part, record your sighting online at www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/springwatch/
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