'supporting each other through really tough times'

elizabunny

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Did anyone else pick up on the BBC News article about how much food is wasted in the world? Apparently the world food production for a year is 4 billion tons and the stat was that 2 billion tons of that are not used. The supermarket chains reject any that are not perfect or don't conform to set standards and often a whole crop is rejected which the producer just leaves in the ground to rot. The other stat that was really incredible is that 80% of the world rice crop is lost due to inefficient harvesting, Wow, that is mega waste and should be addressed!!! I assume I am not alone in not really caring what shape my apple is as long as it tastes good?

I saw this too. It's just plain shocking -no other words for it and no excuse for it either. I do not know what this world is coming to.
Perhaps it's just that I am getting older, but so much seems to have changed since I was young. I also saw the news report about a now disused shopping centre which is being used by Actors pretending to be 'Zombies' to attract people to the area????? (no shops there though as I understood it). Sorry, but is that the very best use that they could come up with for the building and land (just my opinion ) But with housing shortages and shops dying out in our villages and towns, I'm sure that someone could have come up with something a little more pro-active ???

[Deleted User]

The next question to ask is how do we as the buying public actually get the supermarkets to listen when we say WE DO NOT NEED PRODUCE TO BE PICTURE PERFECT, JUST SOUND AND TASTY? I don't need a beautiful cabbage to look at, I need a well grown and tasty cabbage that isn't damaged or wilting to eat for my supper.

elizabunny

I am not sure that we can get them to listen to us. At the end of the day, the SMs are only interested in their profit margins. Us OSlers could try to buy only the cheaper fruit and veg, bas*ic* or similar, but there again there is always someone who does want to buy the perfect fruit and veg and as long as there is the SMs will continue to sell it. I feel guilty for buying my fruit and veg from them for convenience only. I would much prefer to shop at the market, but our nearest is around 3/4 miles away and the best one is only once per month. I do buy my meat from the butcher, but have to travel around 16 miles to do this. (Well worth it though).
I feel strongly that the need to feed our nation their every taste and requirement has played into the hands of the Supermarkets and we have all inadvertently created the problem, by being so demanding in our choices. I would love to see the days when our towns and villages had their local shops back. Our small village used to have a butcher, baker, habidasher, florist and small petrol station. We now have none of those but we do have 4 takeaways!:eek:
I am not sure that the problem can be solved, unfortunately:(

WeegieWumman

Food wastage is obscene.
I, for one, am perfectly happy to use odd shaped vegetables because I'll either be cooking them or cutting them up for salads. I'll be eating the fruit, not wearing it as the latest fashion accessory. Given half a chance, I'll buy odd shaped fruit & veg from anyone who'll sell it to me at a slightly reduced price.
It appears to me that many councils give lip service to their commitment of small privately owned retail outlets on our high streets while they continue to grant permission for the 'express' shops belonging to T**sco etc.

[Deleted User]

ELIZA we too have lost most of the independent shops that sell comestibles in the village but we do still have a small baker. The butcher and greengrocer went long ago. We have a small C*op and a O*n Stop opposite one another and then we have 3 pubs all serving food. A chippy, an Indian restaraunt that also does takeaway, a chinese takeaway, an italian restaurant, a coffee shop/deli that also does takeaway and the bakery does hot meals and coffees. There has been an application to the local council to use one of the empty shops as a Pizza outlet which has been taken to appeal as it was turned down. I ask you, do we really need all this? I am from a generation that remembers when tradespeople came round in small vans to sell in the street. We had a baker, a greengrocer and a butcher who did this when I was a child and a wet fish van 2 days a week and a travelling fish and chip van once a week, also we had shops in the village and an International Stores for Tea, Bacon etc. We also had a local dairy who delivered milk etc. Long gone I'm afraid, I don't know what the answer is, I wish I did!!! Cheers Lyn xxx.

elizabunny

We have to ask ourselves-do we really need umpteen varieties of apples, pears lettuces, potatoes etc. So many different varieties of bread it is impossible to count them all. The same goes for cheese, milk, yoghurt, pizza's etc, need I go on. Whatever we want -it seems to be provided. In the past speciality food was more commonly purchased from specialist shops. Many now prefer to buy all their groceries in one place. This plays directly into the hands of the SMs , who are only to happy to provide us with perfection. I too would happily buy miss shapen fruit and veg.
I do tend try and beat the system by growing as much of my own as possible. We don't have an overly big garden, but DH has installed 4 raised beds of varying sizes. I have mixed success with the crops, there's never enough of everything to last us through, some fail completely, others thrive beyond belief. Very rarely is there a perfect shape or size, but the satisfaction is immense. Last year we bought a small patio nectarine tree. We were rewarded with about 6 perfect gorgeously sweet and juicy fruit. Hardly enough to last us through, but a real in season treat.
I suppose while there is population that want everything served to them from one plate and while it is so easy to obtain it, these horrendous food wastages will continue, but it's shocking two billion tons of food never make it on to our plates!

Lyn I too remember the travelling grocery van that came into our village once a week. My DM used to have all her meat delivered by the butcher who left it in a bscuit tin on the doorstep if she was out! Don't think that would be allowed today, but none of us were ever the worse for it. I had forgotton we used to have a green grocer in the village, it has been so long since he shut up shop.

PPS According to the news some of the wasted food comes from snapped french fry chips that break on their way to the burger outlet etc. and from carrots that have fallen off the back of the lorry on their way to the SMs ?? Hmmmm........

[Deleted User]

Don't the home grown things taste so much better too? I use or freeze or preserve as much of what we grow as I possibly can and share surpluses around to friends who want it. Last year was particularly awful though wasn't it? Lots of things just didn't germinate or when they did just stopped at the green shoot stage and didn't grow on. Some things loved the conditions, I've never known a blackberry crop like we had this year but so many things just didn't do at all!!! The lunchtime news said that because of the appalling conditions last summer most of the crop is depleted of minerals and therefore nowhere near as nutritious as it should be. Lets hope for better things in 2013, Cheers Lyn xxx.

mardatha

Just wondering when things will get so tough that people stop buying takeaways - or is that one of the last things that goes?

katieowl_2

Well I suppose if you don't know how to prepare a meal otherwise...it WILL be the last thing to go :rotfl: Apart from maybe loo paper!

Kate

[Deleted User]

Good luck this afternoon KATIE, I'll be thinking of you!!! Cheers Lyn xxx.

MAR - as long as they leave us the chippy all the rest can go as far as I am concerned!!!