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CPRE Local Food Campaign
Local Food in Herefordshire
CPRE carried out a local food survey of five mall shops
in Kington High Street. All sourced some of their fresh produce locally
and three sourced more than 75% locally.
Between them these shops provided 20 jobs for local people plus securing
work for those producing the goods. There was a wide range of produce
from local suppliers including, meat, game, dairy goods, water, bread,
vegetables, fruit, ice-cream, jam, honey, crisps, farmed fish, beer and
cider.
Local food appeared to be competitively priced and popular.
CPRE campaigns locally and
nationally to encourage members and the general
public to buy locally produced food. Doing so supports
the local rural economy, goods purchased directly from the grower gives
the farmer a better return. The food is fresher and traceable.
CPRE Herefordshire
is concerned about the growing number of supermarkets in Herefordshire
and believes that local food outlets should receive more active support
from Herefordshire Council. CPRE believe that if the rural economy of
Herefordshire is to prosper there must be a much greater awareness of
the range of benefits localisation of the food market can bring.
We can help protect the Herefordshire landscape
by supporting our local farmers and the best way of doing this is to buy
directly from them, or their produce in local shops and Farmers Markets.
Herefordshire has a wide range of local food
available to the general public.
Links:
Farmers Markets – ring 01873 890675
The Green Consumer Guide – local Health Food Shops
The Carrot Project
Graig Farm
The Soil Association
Other Herefordshire local food outlets can be found by searching the Internet.
Local Foods and Farming
CPRE recognise that the landscape and countryside we
wish to protect is in part the product of centuries of agriculture.
The second half of the 20th century witnessed some of the most dramatic
and far reaching changes in farming, changes which have altered the countryside
and the landscape considerably.
We have lost thousands of miles of hedgerows.
Intensification of food production has led to overstocking and resulted
in excessive use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers with knock-on
effects on human health, river quality and fish stocks, major declines
in common bird and mammal species.
Although these issues have now been recognised and changes to the way
the land is farmed are being made, it will take many years to repair the
damage.
The globalisation of the food market has further increased the pressures
on our agricultural industry. Many small or medium sized farms are unable
to comply with the standard buying policies of the supermarkets.
In turn, the buying power of supermarket chains has led to the UK importing
food, for example apples, which could and, CPRE believes, should be home-produced.
Trucking food around the UK now accounts for some one-third of all road
freight. The ingredients of a traditional meal bought from a supermarket
may have travelled thousands of miles. Transport, both within the UK and
around the world causes major air pollution and contributes significantly
to carbon dioxide emissions, a cause of global warming.
CPRE have produced a local food survey pack. This seeks
to discover how much locally produced food is available in High Street
shops and encourages members to raise awareness of the issues.
If you would like to carry out a local food survey of your town
or village and publicise the results on these web pages please contact
us for a local foods survey pack.
more information about our National Local Food Campaign, downloadable leaflets and survey forms.
CPRE Herefordshire is a registered Charity: No: 213951. The Campaign to Protect Rural England exists to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country.