Radical rethink' needed on food

[ginge51]

A "radical rethink" of how the UK produces and consumes its food is needed, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has warned.

He was speaking at the launch of the government's assessment of the threats to the security of what we eat.

The food supply was currently secure but population growth and climate change could have an impact, he warned.

Producers, supermarkets and consumers have been invited to suggest how a secure food system should look in 2030.

Some of the findings from the consultation are expected to be published in the autumn.

We have to feed another two and a half to three billion mouths over the next 40 to 50 years
Hilary Benn

Food research 'needs a boost'

As well as launching the consultation process, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a scorecard-style assessment of the current state of the UK's food supply.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8189549.stm

I totally agree, that the amount of food made in the uk and overseas for us folk here that is wasited is totally unacceptable.
But to try and 'weigne' us on to crops that are artificially made is a disgrace.
I would take normal food over this stuff any day.
This should not even be a debate, fear mongering mothers......

[Mick Fisher]

OH-OH!! Food Tax on the cards?

Or

We can't afford all these OAP's so let's starve some of 'em to death.

My money is on some sort of consumer tax for food as that seems to be the way politicians think and like to do things. Instead of planning to have enough food for an extra 3 billion mouths how about trying to cut that number down because this planet is not capable of supporting those population numbers in so many areas not just food.

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

My money is on some sort of consumer tax for food as that seems to be the way politicians think and like to do things. Instead of planning to have enough food for an extra 3 billion mouths how about trying to cut that number down because this planet is not capable of supporting those population numbers in so many areas not just food.

Cutting Birth rates is a difficult issue because at some point you would need to place restrictions on children per family, like China's one child policy, and this is not a desired policy! It won't work in any countries such as ours which has a strong sense of Human Rights.

[Xan]

The birth rate has gone down in my area and trying to close schools.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4881034.stm

[MovedGoalPosts]

As I saw suggested somewhere, Supermarkets shouldn't be doing BOGOF two for one type offers on food, especially perishables. It inevitably leads to excess consumption and waste when you buy more than you need and it rot's before you get to munch on it. These things should always have been straight price reductions.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Rob

As I saw suggested somewhere, Supermarkets shouldn't be doing BOGOF two for one type offers on food, especially perishables. It inevitably leads to excess consumption and waste when you buy more than you need and it rot's before you get to munch on it. These things should always have been straight price reductions.

How quickly would things have to go off for that to be a problem. You could always eat the same thing on two successive days.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Mick Fisher

OH-OH!! Food Tax on the cards?

Or

We can't afford all these OAP's so let's starve some of 'em to death.

VAT on all food products, it's good to see our politicians being more transparent these days, you can see right through this one

[MovedGoalPosts]

Originally Posted by nomadking

How quickly would things have to go off for that to be a problem. You could always eat the same thing on two successive days.

Less of an issue for families no doubt but for single people, buying one punnet is sufficient for a few days of things like strawberries plums and suchlike that do has a very short shelf life before they are past their prime . If you are effectively told to buy two, then it is a waste, encourages obeseity and all sorts.

Indeed another dodgy article seen today was suggesting that obesity was a problem with food supply and climate change contriubution since we eat more than we need and thus have to transport more as well as growing it.

May be the answer is to move to rationing, rather than taxation

[Mick Fisher]

If the human race is going to survive, without colonising another planet (unlikely ATM), then the introduction of compulsary birth control and the limitation of one vehicle per household has just got to happen.

Of course the politicians won't press for it as, on the one hand it will be political suicide and on the other hand less people and vehicles to tax means less money in the treasuries coffers and MP's back pockets.

[Dai]

I totally agree. Overpopulation is the elephant in the room that no politician is willing to discuss.

Although it's a big planet there are enormous areas that will not sustain human life reliably and we are already seeing increasing migration to the 'nicer' bits.

The next wars will be fought for water and such basic resources and I suspect it is already to late to stop that process.

Still, at some point we will have to slow down our breeding or risk seeing increasing numbers of starving and desperate people.

[ginge51]

Originally Posted by DaiNasty

I totally agree. Overpopulation is the elephant in the room that no politician is willing to discuss.

Although it's a big planet there are enormous areas that will not sustain human life reliably and we are already seeing increasing migration to the 'nicer' bits.

The next wars will be fought for water and such basic resources and I suspect it is already to late to stop that process.

Still, at some point we will have to slow down our breeding or risk seeing increasing numbers of starving and desperate people.

Totally agreed.
A limit of 3 kids per family would see to that.

[Angua]

Originally Posted by DaiNasty

I totally agree. Overpopulation is the elephant in the room that no politician is willing to discuss.

Although it's a big planet there are enormous areas that will not sustain human life reliably and we are already seeing increasing migration to the 'nicer' bits.

The next wars will be fought for water and such basic resources and I suspect it is already to late to stop that process.

Still, at some point we will have to slow down our breeding or risk seeing increasing numbers of starving and desperate people.

Whilst I agree enough is enough population wise the difficulty with that is there are insufficient new taxpayers in to the system to fund the pensions for the ageing population.

It might be more to the point if we get the supermarkets to stop importing so much food and encourage our own farmers by not screwing them to the ground for as cheap a product as possible.I'm wondering how many farmers have gone to the wall because of the supermarkets ploys..

I try to buy English or British where ever possible but sometimes the choice is not available at the supermarket.Maybe taxing the supermarkets if THEY don't offer a home grown choice would be more to the point.

Granny Smiths grown in this country are so much nicer.

[Dai]

Good point Maggy. As fuel oil and transport costs increase we'll see a return to locally grown and seasonal foods anyway. It simply won't be cost-effective to fly green beans from Kenya and suchlike.

A forward-thinking government would be planning for this already by helping to build up our home agriculture..