LINEnotices : Message: Food: Actions you can take

Salaams -

At the January LINE meeting, our guest speaker, Ben Reynolds from London Food Link (http://www.sustainweb.org ) , offered a wealth of constructive actions that are available to London-ers like many of us, to help us on our path to supporting the availability and development of food production that is sustainable, and which would thus resonate with Islamic teachings.

In fact there were so many useful actions Ben raised, that we asked him if he would follow his talk up by sending us the information as an email and with a set of links, so that we could also explore this further in our own time. The information that Ben sent now follows...

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ACTIONS

Growing

-Grow your own food, in your window box or garden, or if you have neither start an allotment

-For some very useful briefings on growing see WEN's website [http://www.wen.org.uk/local_food/resources.htm ]

-To find out about getting an allotment go to the Allotment Regeneration Initiative [ http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/ ]

Buying

-Buy local to help reduce your food miles

-Find your local farmer's market. A trip to the market can be about more than filling the kitchen cupboards. Talk to the suppliers and find out about the food you're eating. Where does it come from? how is it made? how can you cook it? www.lfm.org.uk

-Have a look in your local corner stores and consider buying from them before driving to the supermarket.

-Eat more fruit and veg by picking something up daily from a fruit and veg stall – look around, they're everywhere!

-Rediscover your local butcher and fishmonger and ask them questions – don't know how to cook that cut of meat? Your butcher can probably give you some suggestions. See www.touchlondon.co.uk for a list of local Butchers and fishmongers.

-Buy seasonal[www.eattheseasons.com ]

-Consider buying from a local veg box scheme, they'll deliver your weekly order straight to your door![ www.Bigbarn.co.uk]

-Ask where your food has come from when eating out. Also worth trying some of London's more sustainable restaurants

Storage, preparation and cooking

-Part of being sustainable is to reduce wastage (making things are properly stored and not thrown away because of use by dates, etc.), and using minimal energy and water e.g. choice of fridges, make full use of oven when baking, minimise boiling the kettle, etc. These steps will often save a lot of money too.

-For reducing energy use[www.est.org.uk/ ]

-For reducing water use [ www.waterwise.org.uk/ ]

Throwing it away

-Packaging: Reduce, Reuse, and recycle[ www.lcrn.org.uk]

-Organic waste: It's best if you can avoid throwing away food that's gone off – but for those bits that you just can't digest – it's best to compost, either in your own garden or through a local/council kitchen waste scheme. [ www.lcrn.org.uk]

Volunteering or Setting up a project/social enterprise/business

There are many community projects around London that need a range of help from growing projects, food co-ops, cook and eat clubs.

-Volunteer with a community food project. We can recommend one local to your area.
-Help out at your local City farm or community garden [ www.farmgarden.org.uk]

Here are a list of campaigns that we know about:

-Save Manor Gardens Allotment [ www.petitions.pm.gov.uk/manorgardens/ ]

-Breaking the armlock [ www.breakingthearmlock.com/ ]

-Children's food campaign [ www.sustainweb.org ]

-Save Queen's Market [ www.friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk/ ]

-Real Food (Friends of the Earth) [ www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/real_food/press_for_change ]

-Tescopoly [www.tescopoly.org/ ]

-Local Food Is Miles Better (Farmers Weekly) [ www.fwi.co.uk/gr/foodmiles/index.html ]

-Supermarket Dominance (CLA) [ www.cla.org.uk/Hot_Topics/Supermarket_Dominance/ ]

Newsletters

The Jellied Eel, is London Food Link's magazine for interested individuals and organisations to keep up to date with what's happening in London's sustainable food sector. [ http://www.sustainweb.org/page.php?id=211 ]

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