Sustainable Food Trust

“Grazing animals have shaped the quintessentially pastoral British countryside for thousands of years and play a vital role in sustainable food systems. However, over the last decade or so we’ve been told by a succession of high-profile reports that we have to make drastic cuts in our consumption of meat in order to help limit global warming, biodiversity loss and other agriculture-related problems. This has left many people confused about what they should eat to be healthy and have a sustainable lifestyle.”
http://bit.ly/2SzPtz4

Opportunity in Brittany, France: L’Ile d’Ouessant (Ushant) is seeking an #organic #dairy farmer to produce milk and dairy products as well as help to protect the island’s farmland and natural spaces http://bit.ly/2GVx61d

Our cows are disappointed in you
Neil Darwent described the arguments around the price of milk in 2012, following his successful opposition to Nocton’s 8000 cow mega-dairy.
“The reality is there is really no such thing as cheap milk. Somewhere, somebody pays the real price and, right now, it’s the farmers and their cows.”
... http://bit.ly/2SIsAJJ
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This article describes the environmental and cultural benefits of eating local food and discusses how important Aboriginal Australian foodways are likely to be to the future of sustainable food.
“Most foods consumed in Australia are not native to the continent but were introduced by British settlers or subsequently brought in with later waves of immigration from Europe and Asia. … Yet for more than 50,000 years Aboriginal Australians cultivated and domesticated crops that were native to the continent, and therefore better adapted to its temperature and environmental pressures, providing great abundance, nutrition and diversity of food to Indigenous communities.”
http://bit.ly/2RSup2o

Continuing our article series on British agriculture post-Brexit, we spoke to Peter Lundgren, a Lincolnshire arable farmer who campaigns against GM crops.
“My biggest concern is that farming post-Brexit may look very similar to farming under the CAP – a sort of CAP mark 2. From my point of view the CAP has been immensely damaging to farming, the rural economy, food quality and the environment”
http://bit.ly/2WYXwVs

The carbon footprint of the meat and dairy industry has become an increasingly hot topic. In this article from 2017, Emily Franklin discusses the sustainability of milk and plant alternatives.
“The varying arguments in relation to the health and environmental impact of #milk versus its substitutes can be hard to unravel and can become a headache for consumers who are trying to do their bit for the environment”
http://bit.ly/2UVQhf9

Hear about Zambia, biofertilisers and regenerative farming in January’s Oxford Real Farming Conference themed Farmerama episode.
Barbara Hachipuka Banda is working with thousands of women in Zambia to teach and promote natural agriculture. Matt and Juanfran from Ragmans Farm in the Forest of Dean explain biofertilisers and Fred Price from Gothelney Farm in Somerset describes how he began using regenerative farming techniques.
http://bit.ly/2I3l8ES

Our Communications Manager, Megan Perry, had the chance to sample some of the most celebrated Palestinian foods during her recent trip.
Here, Megan describes how the iconic foods connect people and offer comfort and community. She describes Jerusalem bagels, Tahini, Makloubeh, Kanefeh, Dates and Maftoul and presents videos of the process of producing these foods.
http://bit.ly/2GB1xK1

We’re looking for a policy volunteer with a good grip on public policy and a keen interest in food and farming issues.
You will work with our Head of Policy to assist in researching key policy issues and for longer reports as well as monitoring political developments in Westminster, Brussels and Washington.
http://bit.ly/2UQCN4e

Ahead of Valentine’s Day this week we’re thinking about how to make your celebrations more sustainable.
This article suggests a few alternative ways of making your beloved happy. “Valentine’s Day should embody the principles of the quote “Love does not dominate, it cultivates”. Let’s celebrate Valentine’s Day by not allowing a celebration of waste and excess to be indicative of love”.
http://bit.ly/2TO2bY3

Every year 4.5 million tonnes of UK grown fresh fruit and vegetables are lost to aesthetic grading. In this article, Gavin Wren explores some of the reasons why carrots face the highest losses of all.
“While perfectly conical, straight-sided darts of orange perfection are welcomed with open arms, other less fortunate carrots become victims of the grading process. EU regulations detail cosmetic standards and supermarkets impose their own, higher specifications on top of those. Grading sorts fresh fruit and vegetables according to size, shape and cosmetic appearance, and only the finest carrots hit the shop shelves, whilst those which display significant imperfections are set aside.”
http://bit.ly/2UOdRKt

In this article from 2012, our CEO Patrick Holden describes the process of making cheese alongside a farm visit from Randolph Hodgson, founder of Neals Yard Dairy.
“To make cheese, take warm milk, heat it to 30°C, introduce some friendly bacteria, stir and leave for two or three hours, constantly testing for temperature and acidity. Then add rennet to make the milk set into a kind of junket, cut the curd, drain the whey, consolidate the curd, add salt, mill then pack into moulds before pressing overnight. Then store for a year and sell.”
http://bit.ly/2RUxyyk

At the Oxford Real Farming conference this year, the Sustainable Food Trust hosted a thought provoking session on the use of plastics within the food supply chain.
As recent studies suggest consumers are becoming more concerned about avoiding plastic than they are about price, can small businesses be nimble enough to take advantage of this new consumer awareness?
During the session, panellists discussed packaging which reaches consumers and how a move to avoid plastic might a...ffect farm businesses? The panel also discuss farm plastic waste – what are the problems and how can they be resolved?
http://bit.ly/2TizK4z
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Throughout February we’ll be sharing some older articles relating to the dairy industry to celebrate the hard work that dairy farmers do year round and go some way towards explaining some of their farming methods.
Let’s start with one of the more contentious topics: the fate of male dairy calves.
In this article from 2017, Oliver Burgess describes some of the ways in which the dairy industry is responding to a changing demand for meat and dairy products. “The challenge the da...iry industry faces involves understanding how calves welfare, economic value and potential as a food source can be addressed in a sustainable way.”
http://bit.ly/2DZesDu
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Most farmers have adapted to all but the very worst dry weather Oliver Maskrey takes a look at how drought has affected agriculture around the world and how farmers and growers have become more resilient.
The United Kingdom, South Africa, California and Australia have generally have very different climates and consequently agricultural techniques vary drastically between them. However, in their own way, they have all been suffering with drought.
“Our food supply, as ever, i...s at the mercy of the weather. We should be prepared for worsening conditions, if we do not act now to encourage farmers and growers to become more resilient to drought.”
http://bit.ly/2UgFQSS
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The Stockholm Resilience Institute have identified nitrogen pollution as ranking right at the top in terms of transgression of planetary boundaries, but because nitrogen fertiliser users in agriculture are not financially responsible for this damage, use by farmers remains very high. This is because without costing in its negative impacts, there is a strong business case for its use.
In our session at the Oxford Real Farming conference 2019, leading experts identified, quantified and monetised the areas where damage is caused by nitrogen use in agriculture and explored the opportunities for applying the polluter pays principle as a post-Brexit policy instrument.
https://youtu.be/KS9VjE1szfk

Is the UK on an unwise path towards adopting crop insurance? Our Head of Policy, Honor Eldridge, discusses crop insurance in the context of Brexit and advises that another solution is found to mitigate the economic gap caused by coming out of the Common Agricultural Policy.
“Crop insurance is a financial method by which an agricultural crop can be insured against potential future harvest loss. While the goal of reducing volatility in the food system is essential, most of the CI schemes that have been implemented around the world have been shown to be both environmentally damaging and financially irresponsible.”
http://bit.ly/2sPoBMH

The Chair of the SFT Board, Anthony Rodale, has decided to show his generous support for @HarmonyOrgUK by taking on the challenge of running the Trans Atlas Marathon in Morocco. One of the most difficult Ultra Marathons in the world, the race covers 185 miles over 6 days, up and down Atlas Mountain terrain.
Anthony was inspired by the Prince of Wales' idea that if we are to live within planetary boundaries, we must learn from Nature and recognise the interconnectedness of all life on earth. Anthony hopes to inspire others to follow in his footsteps and put Harmony into practice in their lives and work.
http://bit.ly/2CStk53

Two very intense and inspiring days filled with excellent food! It was so good to feel connected to amazing people striving to the same ideal: Harmony!!!.

It might be a drop in the ocean, but it's now up to us to make sure this drop is alive and growing bigger and bigger!

Thank you Sustainable Food Trust for all the hard work of getting this event together!!!

This is a resource for all who are seriously concerned about the reversal of the damage caused by the 'ekocide' perpetrated by big businesses...

Our time has come to lift our voices and wallets to better and more sustainable, locally grown food distribution. This group addresses the 'real costs' on the toxic, industrial farming model.



Eat & grow local...

Two very intense and inspiring days filled with excellent food! It was so good to feel connected to amazing people striving to the same ideal: Harmony!!!.

It might be a drop in the ocean, but it's now up to us to make sure this drop is alive and growing bigger and bigger!

Thank you Sustainable Food Trust for all the hard work of getting this event together!!!

This is a resource for all who are seriously concerned about the reversal of the damage caused by the 'ekocide' perpetrated by big businesses...

Our time has come to lift our voices and wallets to better and more sustainable, locally grown food distribution. This group addresses the 'real costs' on the toxic, industrial farming model.



Eat & grow local...