Food imports

[solway cropper]

I read in the paper that UK food imports are at the highest level for 40 years. Here we all are trying our best to live some sort of a sustainable lifestyle and there are still millions of people insisting on eating out-of season fruit and veg which has to be shipped at great cost half-way round the world. For me it's the anticipation of the first strawberry or asparagus spear that makes the taste so wonderful and I do believe that familiarity can breed contempt. Strawberries every week? no thanks.

I was in Cockermouth today and the high street was given over to a local food festival and it was amazing what was on offer. All produced in the county and all seasonal (apart from the preserves, obviously). Eating what's in season and what hasn't been shipped thousands of miles doesn't have to be boring.

Sorry to go on about it but when are people going to WAKE UP

[MrsC]

Not sure when they will but agree with what you say

[Jeanied]

I've just been watching a farming documentary which basically says that our current way of farming and producing food is unsustainable now the oil reserves are being cashed in. By the end of the century we won't be able to feed ourselves. GM is no answer either because it relies on the oil based fuels to do all the farming.

[MrsC]

Don't understand what the oil reserves have to do with it? What do you mean?

[Jeanied]

It was a farming programme about a woman looking into the future of running her farm sustainably - and realising that every step of the growing process used a tractor, plough, or combine harvester - along with grain dryers and transport. So all of it depended on machinery driven by diesel. Getting it to the grain processors, bakeries and then on to the consumer took even more. Without plentiful oil this would all be impossible and there are very few viable alternatives. (I must admit to getting a bit depressed at this point.)

[rustylady]

I think the root of the problem is that there are too many people in the world (and especially in "developed countries" now. No way could we manage to feed everyone if we had to go back to the old ways of producing food (horses and carts, natural fertilisers etc).

[Liza]

It maybe also due to the many different nationalities living in Britain who wish to purchase imported foods that are out of season and "non British".

[Two_Sheds]

many different nationalities living in Britain who wish to purchase imported foods that are out of season and "non British".

eg. bananas, coffee, tea, tobacco, Australian wine

[rustylady]

eg. bananas, coffee, tea, tobacco, Australian wine

which are mostly consumed by native British people

[Liza]

which are mostly consumed by native British people

.....and have been for many years.

[rustylady]

.....and have been for many years.

So which imported foods (non-British) were you thinking about?

[Bramble_killer]

It maybe also due to the many different nationalities living in Britain who wish to purchase imported foods that are out of season and "non British".

The British have always imported food since they invented trade. If there was no import, there wouldn't be tomatoes or potatoes, and the whole range of oriental vegetables that you can grow for quick cropping.

I am a non-British and I certainly eat far more seasonally than the British at work who don't grow their own food.

[lizzylemon]

A massive, and yes Jeanied, very depressing subject, but it's not just about sustainable food growing / rearing (sp) but also about having to find viable fuel replacements when the fosil fuels run out. Everything is connected to fosil fuel one way or another so it needs very serious attention. If we can ease the burden of fuel usage by dropping our food (or any other product) importing the oil can (in theory) be used somewhere else in the chain or last a bit longer.

[Caro]

I love to eat seasonally and do make an effort to buy locally produced food. If I have a choice between New Zealand lamb or Scottish lamb, then Scottish it is. Same with tomatoes, where I'm offered Spanish or British, I buy British. But, I'm not yet willing to forego mangoes, limes, passion fruit, coconut milk, tea and most importantly, wine.

Surely we've not yet reached the stage where we shouldn't import anything and, if everyone made a small effort to eat more locally and seasonally, then wouldn't that make a great impact?

And just to mix it up, , some of the long distance imports we buy are actually a vital economic injection to some very poor countries.

[Liza]

So which imported foods (non-British) were you thinking about?

The ones that are in the aisle dedicated to "speciality food" in some supermarkets.

The British have always imported food since they invented trade. If there was no import, there wouldn't be tomatoes or potatoes, and the whole range of oriental vegetables that you can grow for quick cropping.

I am a non-British and I certainly eat far more seasonally than the British at work who don't grow their own food.

My ex and many of my friends are also non british,they eat british food, but also enjoy foods imported from their home countries, there is not much you cant buy now from all over the world.

Yes we have always imported and exported as have many countries for many years and it is very important, but my post was "a maybe due to", in reply to the OPs " Highest levels recorded in 40 years".