There’s an excellent piece here on Sp!ked by Rob Lyons demolishing the case for “local” food – and, by implication, beer:
Let me state my position baldly: there is no problem to which local food - or at least buying your food within some predetermined distance of home - is a good solution. Despite the claims of some campaigners, local food won’t save the planet, it won’t make us healthier, it won’t restore traditional communities and it doesn’t offer greater food security.
The big claim usually made in terms of the environment and local food is that we should be trying to reduce our ‘food miles’. It seems to make sense that the shorter the distance between fork and fork - between the one in the soil and the one on our plate - the better. The trouble with that theory is that transport from field to warehouse to shop is just one small part of the total environmental impact of our food.
Insisting on local food could actually increase the environmental impact of what we eat.
Er. This is just a point of view. Where are the arguments and the facts and figures? Seems a pointless piece to me. Just a claim without evidence.
ReplyDeleteUmm, isn't any opinion piece just a "point of view"? Did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning or something? ;-)
ReplyDeleteNot at all. You trailed this as revalatory when In fact it tells you nothing never mind anything new. Did you forget to include the bit that convinced you so?gaRment rdet
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm afraid TM has beaten me to it. You did rather lead with your left-"an excellent piece". Er, not really. It may seem excellent to you as it echoes your own thoughts, but I found it lacking in any real substance. And I'm speaking here as a neutral on the subject.
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