Comments on: Salmonella Tomatoes: An Argument For View Source and Food Miles http://greenmonk.net/salmonella-tomatoes-an-argument-for-view-source-and-food-miles/ Green from the roots up, Sustainable from the top down Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:15:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: opit http://greenmonk.net/salmonella-tomatoes-an-argument-for-view-source-and-food-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-3504 opit Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:54:15 +0000 http://greenmonk.net/?p=191#comment-3504 The real fly in the ointment is monoculture. After a number of generations, sterility is a problem. Before that is vulnerability to catastrophic crop loss due to insects, disease, weather, or other factors. Everything just becomes 'wound too tight'. Worse yet is GM and 'modern agriculture'. Find items on Monsanto on YouTube for a real eye-opener. If it seems unbelievable ( yep ) the stats on farmer suicide in, say, India, might motivate further exploration. GlobalResearch.ca put out a summary the other day : I posted the link : which should make a person just about ready to say 'reserve me a space in the funny farm'. It's that wild. The real fly in the ointment is monoculture. After a number of generations, sterility is a problem. Before that is vulnerability to catastrophic crop loss due to insects, disease, weather, or other factors. Everything just becomes ‘wound too tight’. Worse yet is GM and ‘modern agriculture’. Find items on Monsanto on YouTube for a real eye-opener. If it seems unbelievable ( yep ) the stats on farmer suicide in, say, India, might motivate further exploration.
GlobalResearch.ca put out a summary the other day : I posted the link : which should make a person just about ready to say ‘reserve me a space in the funny farm’. It’s that wild.

]]> By: Ludovic http://greenmonk.net/salmonella-tomatoes-an-argument-for-view-source-and-food-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-3446 Ludovic Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:17:10 +0000 http://greenmonk.net/?p=191#comment-3446 Huge progress has been made on traceability, in particular after the BSE crisis. Still, cattle and poultry movements (remember Bernard Matthews bird flu) and prepared food remain challenging, in particular because once ingredients are transformed the obligation is only to label the end-product fabrication place. I've stopped buying ready-made meals a long time ago, but I guess I belong to a minority. Bottom line: thank the EU for the norms and look for regional quality labels (AOC in France, DOGC in Italy, etc...) Huge progress has been made on traceability, in particular after the BSE crisis.

Still, cattle and poultry movements (remember Bernard Matthews bird flu) and prepared food remain challenging, in particular because once ingredients are transformed the obligation is only to label the end-product fabrication place. I’ve stopped buying ready-made meals a long time ago, but I guess I belong to a minority.

Bottom line: thank the EU for the norms and look for regional quality labels (AOC in France, DOGC in Italy, etc…)

]]> By: Chris Dalby http://greenmonk.net/salmonella-tomatoes-an-argument-for-view-source-and-food-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-3445 Chris Dalby Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:49:55 +0000 http://greenmonk.net/?p=191#comment-3445 There needs to be a serious mindset change with the way that we buy and source our food. Only 25 - 30 years ago, we shopped locally. I don't remember going into a big supermarket until I was about 9 or 10. 75% of all the fish landed at Billingsgate market, the biggest fish market in UK, gets exported. The UK imports 75% of all fish consumed in the UK. The stats don't make sense. Combined with crazy systems meaning certain foods are prepared in UK, then shipped to China for processing, then shipped back and packed (allowing manufacturer to claim it is made in UK). Very few of us grow our own food now. I find it hard to make the time too, just like I have 3 tomato plants, two fruit plants and countless salad and herbage to stick in the ground. Turning back the last 30 years will be tough, but buying locally and growing your own herbs is a good start. There needs to be a serious mindset change with the way that we buy and source our food. Only 25 - 30 years ago, we shopped locally. I don’t remember going into a big supermarket until I was about 9 or 10.

75% of all the fish landed at Billingsgate market, the biggest fish market in UK, gets exported. The UK imports 75% of all fish consumed in the UK. The stats don’t make sense. Combined with crazy systems meaning certain foods are prepared in UK, then shipped to China for processing, then shipped back and packed (allowing manufacturer to claim it is made in UK).

Very few of us grow our own food now. I find it hard to make the time too, just like I have 3 tomato plants, two fruit plants and countless salad and herbage to stick in the ground.

Turning back the last 30 years will be tough, but buying locally and growing your own herbs is a good start.

]]> By: Gary Burge http://greenmonk.net/salmonella-tomatoes-an-argument-for-view-source-and-food-miles/comment-page-1/#comment-3444 Gary Burge Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:27:23 +0000 http://greenmonk.net/?p=191#comment-3444 In the current tomato scare, the point of contamination, where the salmonella came in contact with the plants, must be very small -- a field or two at the most. But the tainted tomatoes spread to 17 states! Clearly, the distribution mechanism is more efficient than the safe food controls. Another reason for diversity through localization is economic. I live in an area (Tampa) with huge tomato farms. Despite having been certified as safe by the FDA, our tomato farmers suffered a $40 million hit last week as grocery and restaurant chains refused to accept shipments ordered months before. A more localized and distributed system of growers would have dispersed the financial impact. In the current tomato scare, the point of contamination, where the salmonella came in contact with the plants, must be very small — a field or two at the most.

But the tainted tomatoes spread to 17 states! Clearly, the distribution mechanism is more efficient than the safe food controls.

Another reason for diversity through localization is economic. I live in an area (Tampa) with huge tomato farms. Despite having been certified as safe by the FDA, our tomato farmers suffered a $40 million hit last week as grocery and restaurant chains refused to accept shipments ordered months before.

A more localized and distributed system of growers would have dispersed the financial impact.

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