Rss Feed
Tweeter button
Facebook button

Domestic soybean imports of genetically modified soybeans lost weight factor N – soybeans, food – Food Industry

Some people “do not let their children lose at the starting line,” as most annoying Advertisement Language, because of its “misleading the people on the starting line of blind attention to” create a “childhood panic.” Domestic soybean “childhood fears” link from the plant. When it comes to revitalizing the soybean industry, the focus of attention will be focused on the soybean farming inputs. Only study the input and output do not study, only the study of production, not research the market, the Government had issued subsidies to farmers, harvest the product and the market is not authorized. In fact, the crisis of domestic soybean planting is not only a crisis. General Manager Tian Renli oil with 93 words: China’s soybean industry faces behind the confusion is the agricultural policy issue, but also capital market issues, it is the context of global economic integration, the macroeconomic strategy. A purchasing and storage For enterprises, “revenue” and “savings” are difficult.
Past, soybean oil companies need revenue from house to house to collect the bag carrying, freight, labor costs are high. In 2002, the state has adopted the provisions of grain and oil processing enterprises purchase grain farmers and the output tax less input tax. This is intended to be a very favorable business policies, but the question is, enjoy the conditions of this policy is acquired from the soybean farmers have to ask for his identity card, residence booklet, land contract certificate, the “three cards” are indispensable. “It is troublesome, and farmers at home on that several bags of grain, but nor Xiaomao sent to plant yard donkey cart, he must find a middleman. Grain traders they can not farmers, so that we can not enjoy the tax deduction policy.” Said situation from this contradiction, one oil company staff in a look of resignation, told reporters. For this, many companies prefer to import is not willing to buy domestic soybeans.
For those “inventory full” business is, “reservoir” of risk is not small. Informed general manager Zhang Deyi grease told reporters: “We are all season acquisition of Four Seasons processing, to guarantee up to production, for use by the year Raw material In 3 months full-time reserves, which is equivalent to money in a warehouse, not only do not produce profits, but also pay inflation ‘interest’. ” It is estimated that 1 ton of soybean business every purchase cost of raw material reserves for the more than 70 yuan, plus handling charges, short freight, Package Fees, storage and so on, every purchase 1 ton of soybean Collection and storage costs have to pay about 80 yuan. Mere “purchasing and storage,” the cost of domestic soybeans has been high above. B Transportation Transport has been presented China’s resources, “south” situation.
2006 Sanjiang, built up to 68 billion kilograms of grain production, the larger rail traffic alone, even at full load transport, fall far short of demand. Canada Day is the day a special train car, a rolling stock operator by transport 60 tons of food a day, 2400 tons, made three years has brought endless. Transport subsidies to enjoy the food like this, as the economy not to mention the soybean crop. Soybean production areas of Heilongjiang Province is not the marketing area, located in the “nerve endings”, but also can not enjoy food as a special transportation policy. So, often when the market is not rolling stock, the market is not so good wagon arrived. Winter rush spring, summer rush Shuyun, not a grain of soybean forever “does not grab the tank.” It has been calculated, soybean producing areas of raw materials or products shipped to the sales area from an average of about 80 yuan per ton of freight needs. Contrast, soybean imports to Hong Kong direct discharge of raw materials reserves not help the Chinese side to bear. In recent years, most oil companies set up factories in the coastal areas, imports of soybean in the port of discharge directly into the post-workshop, up to 20 yuan per ton of freight. Average All told, domestic soybean prices to be higher than the import of soybean is about 200 yuan per ton lower, before the market can be considered in the same starting line in the fight for market.

I am an expert from chinadrillingequipment.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Top Head Drive Drilling System manufacturer , Core Drilling Rig manufacturer, core drilling,and more.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Provision for Food Processing, Animal Husbandry & Fisheries in K’taka Budget

keyword:

animal husbandry

fisheries

milk

 

Formation of the Karnataka Agriculture Mission, increased focus on horticulture are the highlights of the state budget. Some of the key features of the state budget include the promotion of food processing, animal husbandry and fisheries.

 

For the first time in India, the Karnataka Agriculture Mission under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister will now help integrate and coordinate the development activities in horticulture, agriculture, animal husbandry and allied sectors.

 

A high-powered Mission Committee will be set up with agricultural scientists, progressive farmers and NGOs apart from ministers and senior officers of the concerned departments.

 

The state is disbursing Rs 1,750 crore to the cooperative societies. As a part of the Prime Minister’s package for the farmers in 6 districts of the state, the government has provided around Rs.335 crore.

 

For improving productivity in agriculture, the revised 2008-09 budget has provided Rs 1,974 crore for the sector. This is 64% more than the allocation made during the year 2007-08. Out of this, Rs 1,603 crore related to agriculture and horticulture, Rs 319 crore for animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries and Rs 52 crore for sericulture activities.

 

A subsidy of 25% will be provided for establishing cold storage and constructing ware-housing godowns in rural areas for storing agriculture produce.

 

A major programme would be launched to promote production of organic manure and adoption of organic farming methods by farmers in at least 1000 villages. An assistance of Rs 2000 will be given to those families which adopt organic farming methods. An allocation of Rs 100 crore has been made for the organic farming movement.

 

A University of Agricultural Sciences will be established at Raichur at a cost of Rs 5 crore. In order to promote horticulture, a separate agriculture university will be established at Bagalkot.

 

Animal husbandry being a secondary occupation for the farming community, it is proposed to provide a cash incentive of Rs 2 per litre of milk sold by the farmers to milk cooperative societies. This incentive will be directly given to the dairy cooperative societies at the village level.

 

Fishermen will be provided loans at an interest of 3% per annum through cooperatives. The fishing harbour at Malpe will be developed at a cost of Rs 12 crore this year. Dredging of other fishing harbours will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 5 crore.

 

An amount of Rs 10 crore has been provided for development of roads in fishing areas. Complete exemption will be granted from VAT for the ice used by fishermen for preserving fish.

 

 

 

An amount of Rs 10 crore has been provided for development of roads in fishing areas. Complete exemption will be granted from VAT for the ice used by fishermen for preserving fish.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , ,

Ron Paul at Farm Food Voices


Watch and listen to Congressman Ron Paul–champion of small farmers and 2008 Presidential Candidate–address the Farm Food Voices DC 2007 Legislative Reception. On February 14, 2007, small farmers and activists from around the country gathered in Washington DC for the first annual Farm Food Voices, the national small farm lobby day. Organized by the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Advocates Fund (www.nicfa.net ) we came to Washington so that small, independent, sustainable farmers and the communities they support would become real to Washington legislators. When legislators think “agriculture,” they think multinational corporations, commodities, massive subsidies to massive companies who raise genetically modified grains and green pigs, who depend on poisons like insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, anhydrous ammonia (one of the key ingredients for methamphetamine) and raise animals in confinement conditions that leave them with compromised immune systems, and fragile health, then use massive doses of antibiotics. We are the small farmers who nurture and heal the land through careful, faithful stewardship of soil, plant and creature. We raise our crops and animals to have the robust immune systems nature provided. We are local, and we want to stay local. We want to feed our neighbors and communities. We are not asking for subsidies, we are asking that we not be treated as though we are the same as the factory, confinement, mono-crop, commodity producers, and

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Calls for end to food tariffs


www.interest.co.nz Panel 1 with this chart UN chief Ban Ki Moon Calls for end to food tariffs To improve food shortage Wants output doubled Criticised biofuels Panel 2 Greens want Fonterra subsidies Subsidies are wrong Make poor hungrier Genocide by remote control United Nations chief Ban Ki Moon Called on rich nations to drop farming subsidies and trade barriers Crisis summit on world food World Bank reckons higher food prices will push 100 million people into hunger Mr Ban reckons dealing with the food crisis could cost US$20 bln He thinks food supply needs to double by 2030 to solve world hunger Surprisingly he targeted subsidies and tariffs EU spends $62 billion a year on CAP US spends many billions more Mr Ban also criticized others such as China and Japan who have restricted exports Japan agreed to re-export 300000 of exported rice Mr Ban criticized the shift in land use and food use into biofuels US plans to use quarter of maize crop for biofuels by 2022 Europe wants to get 10% of auto fuel from crops by 2020 Even in New Zealand, bastion of free trade, the Green Party has asked Fonterra to charge lower prices for milk in NZ than overseas, essentially a subsidy Lesson is subsidies and tariffs stop rich countries buying food from poor countries It also raises the price of food globally Subsidies incentivize the wrong type of production Subsidies and trade barriers cause starvation and poverty They need to be dropped Rich are protecting their farmers Allowing poor

Technorati Tags: , ,

Limited production of rice in Japan with Japanese food imports new? County Agricultural interview

Planting structure adjustment, economic restructuring in rural areas an important part of how exactly tune? Increase, tuning, tune the quality and efficiency, as the goal is very clear. But as a prerequisite to face the international and domestic markets, which is, after China’s accession to WTO as a necessary requirement. The effectiveness of soy in our province in 2002 were higher, which depends not only on domestic demand conditions, but also on the amount of global soybean production cuts.

Rice is headed Japan’s largest species, the rice production technology, the quality of rice are the best in the world. However, Japan implemented to reduce rice cultivation area of rice production-limiting policies, has been going on for 30 years. Despite Japan’s original intention of this adjustment of planting structure and purpose, and we may be completely different, however, economic integration in the world today, to learn more about the situation of some of our neighbors, we will add some more opportunities.

Japan imports 60% of the food needed is a food importing country absolutely. Particularly vegetables, fruits and other daily consumption of food on a great reliance on foreign markets, such as mine which is rich and rich labor resources, traditional vegetable production and management opportunities for countries.

In the new? Hear a word, the world’s best rice in Japan, Japan’s best rice in the new?, New? The best rice in the fish marsh.

However, this is the best rice, are being implemented in limited production.

New? County Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Policy Division chief of the General Secretary said that Miyamoto is new? Is Japan’s large agricultural county, the backbone of agricultural products are rice, agricultural produce accounted for 60%? 65%, accounting for 25 Japanese rice production %, the total production of home in Japan. Control of the rice growing area and production has been carried out for 30 years, the new? County in 1998 has been reduced by 40,000 hectares of rice growing area, this 40,000 ha is mainly guided by the state, soybeans, buckwheat, vegetables, fruits, flowers and so on.

New? Angeles County deputy governor spring and Zhao said that due to structural changes in food, consumption of rice per person per year in Japan the volume of declining, there overproduction of rice. In order to maintain the price of rice to protect farmers interests, national restrictions on rice production, and introduced the relevant industrial policies.

According to a statistics, the 1998 Japanese eat rice and 179 grams per person per day, more than 360 390 g before the war, fell by half, mainly food products have become rich diet appears Europeanization tendencies. Reduction in consumption, resulting in a relative surplus of rice production. Japan’s protectionist policies in agriculture, but also caused the extraordinarily high prices of agricultural products. The price of rice is 10 times the international similar products, there can not export. Limited production of rice has become an inevitable choice.

Are planned each year to adjust the acreage of rice last year, new? County completed a planned 98%. But the planting structure adjustment, there is no mandatory, entirely through the policy interests of the guidance, mainly state subsidies to farmers, the basic benefit is 40,000 yen per 0.1 ha. State planning the implementation of limited production of rice farmers in their purchase of machinery equipment, to provide interest-free loan. Miyata Masato Shiozawa town is the largest farming households, he said, not the state’s limited production policy, replacing mechanical equipment, there is no interest-free loans, dare not execute.

Interview, a topic often talked about Japan’s food imports and China’s food exports. Japan’s agricultural gross domestic product accounts for only 2.7% of the daily consumption of vegetables and fruits have great food on the foreign market dependence, vegetables products in China one of the major exporting countries, of which Japan imports 99% of spinach to from China.

Sato quasi-two are new? Daily agricultural experts, in that we can together explore the Japanese agriculture, said that China’s vegetable, not only in price advantage, but from China to Japan in the transport and vegetable preservation also has advantages . However, mothers in Japan, more attention to food safety, price is secondary to the safety of the second choice, which is the general mentality of the Japanese people. Sato said, if we can fundamentally solve the issue of pesticide residues in vegetables, China is likely to monopolize the import of vegetables to Japan.

The issue of national experts believe that Japan’s vegetable production is not only costly but also willing to engage in heavy manual work fewer and fewer people, while the WTO has on the government’s financial subsidies are many restrictions (Japan now come up with substantial funds each year financial subsidy on vegetable production), and further transfer market is inevitable, this is an opportunity. Some of China’s agricultural products competitive in price, but in the non-price factors (including quality, safety, packaging, etc.), but lack of competitiveness.

I am a professional writer from Hardware Wholesale, which contains a great deal of information about $keyword_li, welcome to visit!

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

China's soybean market should not be subject to United States – soybeans, exports – Food Industry

Accounting for more than 50% of world soybean trade, China is now confronted with the same embarrassing situation of iron ore imports, China is becoming a lost pricing power of the world’s largest soybean importer. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce statistics, 2007,2008-year growth rates of U.S. soybean exports reached 62.6%, 76.3%. China’s soybean market is under severe impact from the United States, China’s soybean industry, lurking throughout the production chain is controlled by foreign capital crisis.

United States is the world’s largest food producer, is also high subsidies for agriculture in the country. U.S. soybean exports in the world, share of world soybean exports about 40% of the total. “2002 Farm Bill,” after the commencement of production of 1 ton per U.S. soybean farmers get government subsidies, from the early 90s to 15.2 U.S. dollars, increased to 59.1 U.S. dollars in 2004.

U.S. government subsidies of soybeans to China a great impact on the soybean market. By the low price of U.S. soybeans in recent years, U.S. soybean exports to China surge, U.S. soybean exports to China has become the third largest product, second only to aircraft and semiconductors. USDA data also show that as of August 6, 2009, China’s imports of U.S. soybeans 19.8 million tons, up 44.53 percent; China, the U.S. soybean exports, imports accounted for 55 percent, compared with an increase of 12 percent over the same period last year.

China’s domestic soybean production was severely threatened. It is understood that the cost of U.S. soybeans to the port at about 3100 ~ 3200 yuan / ton, while the current domestic market price of soybeans has been maintained at 3,700 yuan / ton. Imports of U.S. soybeans by low prices, eliminate the source of soybean is facing the danger of extinction. Domestic soybean production areas around the major domestic soybean processing enterprise, began to refuse to buy domestic soybeans main producing areas, and even turned to buy imported soybean production. And large Bean oil Prices are way up, and soybean oil pricing is increasingly being controlled by multinational grain merchants.

The face of the US-led impact of imports of soybeans, China’s soybean industry market, employment opportunities and living standards of ordinary people have been affected. Data showed that only 20% of Heilongjiang Province, about to domestic soybean Raw material Processing enterprises in the start, most businesses remained shut, shutdown, or semi-shutdown state; part of the enterprise to facilitate the use of imported soybeans, is the nearest plant or leave the port in Heilongjiang Province. For this situation, not long ago to the Heilongjiang Province of the American Soybean Association, United Soybean Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Embassy in China’s agriculture officials even raised the joint mission to give up the oil extraction in Heilongjiang Province, focus on the development Food Soybean this absurd proposal.

Soybean industry is a very long chain industry, involving the production, oil processing, food processing, aquaculture, Medicine , And chemical fiber industries. China has 100 million population is dependent on soybean production, involving 60 million soybean farmers and processing companies nearly a million workers employed. Soybean oil extraction industry to give up giving up a great many economic benefits and employment opportunities, and gave up China’s grain security. This is the last two years, people of insight on the Development of China’s soybean industry, the underlying causes of anxiety. Those who advocate relying on domestic demand, imports of soybeans to resolve the idea of the gap, simply from international trade theory of comparative advantage of the problem, ignore the “self to self” importance.

In the global international trade, absolute advantage theory, theory of comparative advantage, and even natural resources theory, are to maximize their strengths to address the shortcomings of the international trading industry. China has 1.5 million mu of land suitable for planting soybeans, but also the most soybean varieties in rich countries, with 90% of the wild soybean resources, suitable for consumption, processing more than 3500 kinds of soybean cultivars. Have such a natural advantage, why our country self-sufficiency rate of soybean products, total less than 1 / 3 of it. In my opinion, the root of the problem lies in the years that we did not really attach importance to safeguard the food supply of the total balance.

The face of the impact of U.S. soybeans, we must take to improve road, efforts to restore and revitalize the soybean industry’s overall production.

I am a professional editor from Chinese Manufacturers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform.
http://www.chinaqualitycrafts.com/ contain a great deal of information about
dimethyl ammonium chloride , chlorine bleach
welcome to visit!

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

CPPCC members: the development of dual-purpose meat and milk and dairy cattle to defuse the crisis – food safety, milk – Food Industry

Recently, the city CPPCC members learned in the investigation, so far this year in January to the famous dairy farming county in a manner known in Harbin, the loss of only six towns cows as high as 12,577. Some of these cows sold Jilin, Zhaodong, etc., and partly sold to the slaughter plant directly. Members visit in-depth investigation

learned, as Melamine Event triggered Dairy Food safety problems, now about 70% of Heilongjiang Province, dairy farmers at a loss. The average price of milk across the province acquired only 1.8 yuan / kg, the lowest only 1.4 yuan / kg, 1 / 3 of the small Dairy Stop production or close down. As the effectiveness of decline, many parts of the slaughter of cattle farmers, the phenomenon of selling cattle, dairy development is very serious.

Crisis: Local dairy External and internal

CPPCC National Committee members visited upon investigation found that cows cause a lot of takeout Harbin, slaughter causes the phenomenon of the difficult situation of both the National Dairy internal factors, but also imported Milk powder Efforts to increase dumping of external factors.

Present, dairy companies to issue limited to the milk station acquisition targets, resulting in a considerable number of new milk was no way off, or even no alternative but to discard. Meanwhile, the milk price dropped substantially to 70% of dairy farmers at a loss, the current milk price from last year about 2.8 yuan per kilogram declined rapidly to 1.8 yuan per kg. 40 per day per cow at current dollars Feed Costs, if not artificial, milk yield per cow day to 22 kg was required not to lose money, but at present the annual Harbin cow average daily milk yield was only 14 kg.

Cause a lot of take-away cow in Harbin, slaughtering another important reason for the phenomena is the use of imported milk powder producers milk consumers in the domestic crisis of confidence, to the domestic market, dumping a large number of imported milk powder.

Dairy Association of Heilongjiang Province, according to the Secretary-General Wu Heping, currently in Heilongjiang Province Package Whole milk powder (“powder industrial package” is the ice cream, ice cream, milk drinks the main raw material, can also be distributed into infant formula or revert to liquid milk) of the cost price of 2.7 yuan / ton, and from New Zealand and the United States prices of similar products imported half of the recent dip, respectively, 20,000 yuan / ton and 16 thousand yuan / ton, the cost difference of up to 7,000 yuan per ton to 11,000 yuan, making a large number of food enterprises will be originally made the orders to import milk powder. Heilongjiang dairy enterprises due to the limited capacity formula (1 / 2 large package companies can only produce milk), which stocks a large packing milk powder has already reached 3 million tons, 1 / 3 stop production of small dairy or closed down. Enterprises compete for the market to reduce costs, have compared the prices of imported milk powder, pour fresh takeover launched Milk Prices, resulting in the rapid decline in milk prices, dairy farmers suffered heavy losses.

Measures: the establishment of a minimum purchase limit milk

CPPCC National Committee members pointed out that the dairy cow breeding is part of the foundation chain, chain collapse if the dairy farming, the dairy industry will face extinction. The country’s total milk production in Heilongjiang Province, 1 / 6, second only to Inner Mongolia, China’s second-largest dairy base. Harbin dairy breeding stock and milk production has accounted for the province’s 1 / 3, Harbin Cow is a pillar industry of animal husbandry. Therefore, the government concerned about the quality and safety of dairy products, but also must be highly concerned about the safety of the dairy industry, for the present grim situation, in time to study and formulate relevant measures.

For the response to the current situation, members of the proposed three urgent measures:

? To implement price controls. Relevant government departments to develop guidance prices as soon as possible, the establishment of milk purchase price floor, the maximum protection the interests of dairy farmers.

? Timely development subsidies. Funds should be transferred in time, set up a special subsidy, direct subsidies to farmers to sell milk.

I am a professional editor from Chinese Manufacturers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform.
http://www.chinaqualitycrafts.com/ contain a great deal of information about
carbon fibre hoods , hidden door hinge
welcome to visit!

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Report: Ag research too focused on food production

Report: Ag research too focused on food production
American farmers are producing more food than ever, but agricultural research is too focused on increasing production and needs to do better at considering consequences such as water and air

Read more on Sify News

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Buy Local Food to Reduce Food Miles

You would think that the UK and USA does not produce any food, if this is the case then where has the billions of pounds gone that our two governments pay in farmers subsidies?

By buying food from abroad, developing countries get to market their produce world-wide and we get out of season food all year round. Everyones happy except the environment. Food transportation across the globe is making a significant contribution to climate change. Just look at the following examples:

Food in the UK travels 65% further than it did two decades ago

Heinz ketchup eaten in California is made with California-grown tomatoes shipped to Canada for processing and returned in bottles

In one year, the port of New York City exported $431,000 of Californian almonds to Italy, and imported $397,000 of Italian almonds to the US

Examples are from www.newint.org

What is local food and how can it help?

For many, local food is interpreted as unprocessed food, to be transformed by the consumer or a local shop rather than by the food industry. The food originates from as close to home as possible such as on a regional or national level. As such, local food reduces or eliminates the costs of transport, processing, packaging, and advertising. The go local food movement is currently flourishing with over 15% of people buying food locally and this number continues to rise as the number of farmers markets and local vegetable box schemes increases.

The benefit of locally grown fresh food is that it can be consumed almost immediately after production leading to an increase in food quality and taste as it may be sold fresher and usually riper. Also, the need for chemical preservatives to artificially extend the shelf-life can be reduced or eliminated.

Buying local food does not necessarily mean giving up all food coming from distant countries, but rather favoring local foods when available. Why buy apples from South Africa when you can buy British apples? But often buying food produced abroad can be cheaper (yes, cheaper) than locally produced food due to the subsidies the farmers receive and economies of scale from these large plantations.

It is also argued that national borders should preferably not be used to define what is local and instead measurements made in miles. The growth of Sat Nav systems maybe able to help in calculating the exact number of food miles that food has undertaken. For people living in, say, the south of England, food produced in northern France is more local than food produced in Scotland as it is closer. The local food movement in the European Union has been furhter complicated and hindered by EU rules requiring items produced in the EU, including food, to be marked as products of the EU, rather than as products of any particular country. The instinct of customers to buy nationally produced food in the name of patriotism was deemed to be a barrier to free trade and anti EU.

Studies need to be undertaken so that people can have faith and knowledge that the food that they are buying is actually reducing their carbon footprint on the earth. For example, we need to assess whether it is likely to be more environmentally friendly for tomatoes to be grown in the hot climate of Spain and transported to the UK than for the same tomatoes to be grown in greenhouses in the UK requiring huge amounts of electricity to light and heat them.

Davinos Greeno works for the organic directory This green directory lists 100s of Organic Food and Drink Companies and Eco Jobs and Ethical Companies

Technorati Tags: , ,

Buy Local Food to Reduce Food Miles

You would think that the UK and USA does not produce any food, if this is the case then where has the billions of pounds gone that our two governments pay in farmers subsidies?

By buying food from abroad, developing countries get to market their produce world-wide and we get out of season food all year round. Everyones happy except the environment. Food transportation across the globe is making a significant contribution to climate change. Just look at the following examples:

Food in the UK travels 65% further than it did two decades ago

Heinz ketchup eaten in California is made with California-grown tomatoes shipped to Canada for processing and returned in bottles

In one year, the port of New York City exported $431,000 of Californian almonds to Italy, and imported $397,000 of Italian almonds to the US

Examples are from www.newint.org

What is local food and how can it help?

For many, local food is interpreted as unprocessed food, to be transformed by the consumer or a local shop rather than by the food industry. The food originates from as close to home as possible such as on a regional or national level. As such, local food reduces or eliminates the costs of transport, processing, packaging, and advertising. The go local food movement is currently flourishing with over 15% of people buying food locally and this number continues to rise as the number of farmers markets and local vegetable box schemes increases.

The benefit of locally grown fresh food is that it can be consumed almost immediately after production leading to an increase in food quality and taste as it may be sold fresher and usually riper. Also, the need for chemical preservatives to artificially extend the shelf-life can be reduced or eliminated.

Buying local food does not necessarily mean giving up all food coming from distant countries, but rather favoring local foods when available. Why buy apples from South Africa when you can buy British apples? But often buying food produced abroad can be cheaper (yes, cheaper) than locally produced food due to the subsidies the farmers receive and economies of scale from these large plantations.

It is also argued that national borders should preferably not be used to define what is local and instead measurements made in miles. The growth of Sat Nav systems maybe able to help in calculating the exact number of food miles that food has undertaken. For people living in, say, the south of England, food produced in northern France is more local than food produced in Scotland as it is closer. The local food movement in the European Union has been furhter complicated and hindered by EU rules requiring items produced in the EU, including food, to be marked as products of the EU, rather than as products of any particular country. The instinct of customers to buy nationally produced food in the name of patriotism was deemed to be a barrier to free trade and anti EU.

Studies need to be undertaken so that people can have faith and knowledge that the food that they are buying is actually reducing their carbon footprint on the earth. For example, we need to assess whether it is likely to be more environmentally friendly for tomatoes to be grown in the hot climate of Spain and transported to the UK than for the same tomatoes to be grown in greenhouses in the UK requiring huge amounts of electricity to light and heat them.

Davinos Greeno works for the organic directory This green directory lists 100s of Organic Food and Drink Companies and Eco Jobs and Ethical Companies

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Powered by Yahoo! Answers