Jun 23 2008
A Long Time in Food
Absence
Loyal visitors to the Tracing Paper will have noticed a distinct lack of activity over most of the last year. I’m ashamed that I only just avoided a clear six month hiatus with a (very) brief post about the superb documentary on the modern food industry, Our Daily Bread. My only excuse is that this blog has had a lot of competition for my attention - not just a growing family but moving house and changes in my working life too.
Return
As I start to dip a toe back into the water of blog, it’s hard to know where to start. The last year has proved an especially long time in food, with the development of a global food crisis that was almost unforeseen a year ago. As late as September last year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) issued a stark press release, “Food Price Explosion a Myth Says BRC Food Price Analysis“. Explosion may be a little strong, but rising food prices are undeniably here and becoming more than just an inconvenience for British shoppers.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation food price index has been creeping up since 2002, but its upward trend accelerated markedly in May last year and food prices are increasingly volatile. Recent flooding in America seems to have done away with earlier hopes for a bumper harvest that might alleviate the situation.
The consequences of rising global food prices are, of course, immeasurably more drastic elsewhere in the world, with food shortages, hunger and riots across the globe. World leaders are suddenly talking about food after years of complacency about unending cheap and stable supply.
Questions, questions
Debate rages as to what’s causing this food crisis: The price of oil, and, more fundamentally, declining oil supplies? A run of poor harvests - bad luck or the effect of climate change? Market speculation? Growing demand from fast growing economies like China and India?. A dwindling number of optimists assert that it’s a blip, against the pessimists’ claim that scarce and expensive food is here to stay. Who are the realists? Few agree on the cause of the crisis, let alone just what should be done about it.
The media are, at last, paying attention to some serious issues with the way we produce and consume food. The intrinsic relationship between food and energy - especially oil - is coming under long awaited scrutiny.
The spectre of food shortages has reawakened debate about GM food - a solution to the need for higher yields or potential environmental disaster? Meat, too, has been under the spotlight, with growing recognition of the enormous demand on resources of livestock.
Chicken Out, Welfare In?
British consumers may be feeling the squeeze of higher food prices, but Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has led the vigourous Chicken Out! campaign against cheap conventional chicken. Demand for higher welfare poultry has grown, pushing prices for free range chicken up from £3.50 to £4.80 a kilo at my local butcher.
Tussling with Tesco
The Ubiquitous Tesco
The campaign is now taking on Tesco, also the subject of allegations about tax avoidance schemes in the Guardian and Private Eye. Tesco has taken legal action against the Guardian, as well as individual critics of its operations in Thailand. Over in America, the success and labour conditions of Tesco’s Fresh and Easy operation have been questioned. Probably of most concern to the giant grocer is the recent unexpected slowdown in its sales growth.
Seasonal and Local
Closer to home, interest in seasonal and local food continues to grow. The ubiquitous Gordon Ramsay waded clumsily into the debate with a wild assertion that restaurants should be fined for using unseasonal produce, immediately attracting critical scrutiny of his own menus.
Passing Seasons
Meanwhile, seasons have passed - broad beans, plums, chanterelles, blackberries, apples, rosehip, sloes and more. Now the asparagus season is all but over.
More…
The Tracing Paper will be returning to all this and more in greater depth over the coming weeks and months. It’s been a long time, but there’s much more to come…
