Local Produce

Today, the majority of us purchase our food from the supermarkets. We take for granted the abundant choice delivered to us from all corners of the globe but these choices come at a price; for example, the tomatoes you buy from the supermarket will travel at least a 1000 miles using up carbon-emitting fuel and, not only that, they are sprayed with a hormone to ripen them during transit. In addition exportation and importation has reached a point of ridiculousness; in 2004 the UK exported 1,500 tonnes of fresh potatoes to Germany, and imported 1,500 tonnes of the same product from the same country, imported 465 tonnes of gingerbread but exported 460 tonnes of the same product, and sent 10,200 tonnes of milk and cream to France yet imported 9,900 tonnes of the dairy goods from France. A waste of resources!

Instead we have here in Ayrshire, a farming community already providing us with top quality, affordable produce grown and reared on Ayrshire land. Buying direct from the farmer is better for the consumer and the farmer, and makes sense for the environment. If we support our farming community it can in turn grow creating a stronger economy that continues to provide food to our communities.

(Statistics produced by Nef and Open University Geography Dept.)