'Future of Food' (BBC2) & Allotments

[Seaforth Allotments]

Did anyone see 'Future of Food' (with George Alagiah) last night?

(Watch on BBC iPlayer.)

I wrote a review on my blog...

It was heavy stuff at times, but I thought the interview with the Cuban farmer was very interesting... He was advocating small-scale, (labour) intensive farming - far more efficient in terms of 'energy per unit area' yields, and far less reliant on the chemical and oil industry.

Whilst this isn't going to replace industrial agriculture in the West any time soon (it is not efficient in the capitalist sense), I think the model could be used on a local level. It fits in perfectly with the concept of radically expanding allotment provision (in the UK) and has a number of tangible benefits...

What do allotment-owners and forum-posters think?

[Bramble_killer]

I watched half of it and will watch the other half on the train to work tomorrow. From what I've seen, it appears to be another fluffy BBC drama. He zooms all over the place from country to country, asking people what is going wrong without concentrating on the issues that affect them locally and how the global impacts are.

I'm hoping there's some sort of resolution or idea of what could potentially be improved or strategies practised by governments (even in the Cuban bit, there was no interview with govt officials of how national policy changed when they ran out of oil).

[Seaforth Allotments]

From what I've seen, it appears to be another fluffy BBC drama. He zooms all over the place from country to country, asking people what is going wrong without concentrating on the issues that affect them locally and how the global impacts are.

George Alagiah was the essential choice... As Brian Viner noted in the Indy:

"Had it been someone with the demeanour of, say, Orla Guerin, the hollow-eyed Africa correspondent who looks as though she last heard a joke in 1981 and could introduce existential angst into a chimps' tea party, then I would have needed to lie down for an hour afterwards in a darkened room."

Too fluffy? Probably.
Lacking focus? Definitely.

But I think it is positive that these issues are at least receiving air time!

I'm hoping there's some sort of resolution or idea of what could potentially be improved or strategies practised by governments (even in the Cuban bit, there was no interview with govt officials of how national policy changed when they ran out of oil).

I think the BBC will probably shy away from radical pronouncements (which are required) on the issue. Similarly, I doubt they would consider airing the views of 'Castro's cronies' - which is a great shame, as they doubtless have a lot to share.

I also firmly believe that 'resolution' is the responsibility of people as well as governments, which is why I'm so keen on allotments! Now, if only I could find one...