We spent last weekend at the Annual Baptist Assembly Meetings in Bournemouth. It was enormous fun- we arrived a day early and stayed with Jenny and Peter in Ferndown [thanks!]. That gave us time before all the meetings started to visit good friends and special places. We met Rev Hayley Young, this year's BU President. We took a couple of selfies.
The LOAF Principles are these...
L = Locally produced
O = Organically grown
A = Avoiding Animal Abuse
F = Fairly TradedThis is such a simple way of explaining things. There is a useful leaflet here. I am not sure that I could honestly manage to be 100% consistent about following the diet.
- I like tea, coffee, oranges and bananas, and a few other foodstuffs imported from overseas. Although I try to buy British, if not immediately local, whenever I can. And my Raised Bed Salad Leaves are very local!
- I do not always buy organic, sometimes the price differential is too great - but I am not putting any pesticides on my homegrown veg.
- I am in no way a vegetarian - but I do buy free range eggs, higher welfare meats, and MSC fish. We have regular Meat Free Days on our menu.
- Fairly Traded I am much stricter about
I found an article from 2004 about LOAF [here] I can see many good points- but recognise that for many people it is an impossibility. The author says "most people can prepare, or borrow a raised bed" to grow their own veg. Oh yeah?!
Particularly in these days of rising food prices and with real poverty on the increase, I do not want to make someone feel guilty about buying non organic, non fairtrade, non local, non free range eggs and bacon to feed their children. Like the 100 Day Dress Challenge, this is maybe only truly accessible to middle-class, middle income families. But that does not mean that we should stop trying becuase we cannot achieve perfection. Every little helps...
Have you heard of the LOAF principles, and which of them, if any, do you put into practice?
'Most people'....?? I dont think so. Maybe villages need a collaborative group, lending out their raised beds?
ReplyDeleteI think it is brilliant when communities work together - I've been very impressed with the community vegetable gardens I've seen in Central London housing association complexes as I've pushed baby Jess in her buggy round the streets.
DeleteI've never heard the acronym LOAF before but I do try to abide by those principles as much as I am able. As you say, cost dictates a lot of what we buy and I agree that Organic can be unattainable for a lot of people, us included. Our allotment is organic and, this year, we are trying to provide more food for ourselves, our daughter's family, my brother and a neighbour too.
ReplyDeleteWe'll keep trying!
That is so encouraging to read. I hope that as my gardening skills develop I shall harvest plenty to eat and to share
DeleteForgot to say that I don't eat meat and G only eats it a couple of times a week. We do eat free range eggs and dairy products though.
ReplyDeleteWe eat less meat than we used to, too.
DeleteBear in mind that many small scale commercial producers don’t use pesticides etc but cannot afford the cost and intricacies of being registered ‘Organic’ which is a legally protected term and carries a price premium. But their produce is otherwise essentially ‘organically’ produced.
ReplyDeleteThank you - that's a helpful reminder. Small scale producers are usually willing to explain their policies, if you ask. As you say, the cost of registering as "Organic" is prohibitive for them - but that does not mean they are not avoiding pesticide des etc.
DeleteI've never heard of LOAF. I try to follow the idea. I focus most on humanely raised animal products, which can be hard here. Chicken and eggs I can find, but other meats only occasionally so I mostly don't eat them anymore. It's all much more expensive, but I am careful and fortunately able to afford it. Local and fair trade are hard to find. Other than coffee and chocolate, I rarely see fair trade labels. Lots of local produce in summer but not year round.
ReplyDeleteFair trade is much more available in the UK than it used to be. Maybe we all need to eat more seasonally then eat more local produce
DeleteI hadn't heard of LOAF, it is a good way to remember. Our eggs are produced at the next door neighbours, so certainly local and the hens sound happy. I've fallen down in the locally produced category though, as I realize that buying grapes imported from India all the way to Canada is probably not great for the planet. Sometimes they come from California which is far enough. Of course our oranges take a long trip, too! Regarding animal welfare, I read a couple of interesting books by Dr. Temple Grandin who is an expert in abattoir inspection.
ReplyDeleteOur citrus fruit is imported too. Many of the UK abattoirs have closed, which sadly means animals have to travel further for slaughter.
DeleteI haven't heard of LOAF, either. Some of my fruits and vegetables are locally produced and organically grown in my garden and as far as I know, no animals have been harmed (although the cats who have been fenced out of access to some of the planting beds might not agree) and fairly traded with gardener M and friends, neighbors, and family when there is a surplus.
ReplyDeleteBut, other than that, I generally buy organic only when it is the same price as the regular produce, a lot of my favorite foods and most of my spices and condiments and all my favorite tea are shipped from Sri Lanka! Not sure if they are fair trade, but, the tea says "ethical" tea, which is good to know (don't want to be drinking unethical tea!)
The brand of chicken I usually buy is produced "locally" in the sense that it is a California based producer. I don't really know where the other meats and fish come from (except for the fish I get from the Sri Lankan store, which come from, you guessed it, Sri Lanka). I am not vegetarian, so I can't claim to eat while avoiding animal abuse, since slaughtering them is an abuse.
I guess I don't plan my meals according to the LOAF plan!
I noticed one thing this LOAF idea doesn't include - and that is sharing our food with others. I believe that is a REALLY important principle. I know it is one thing that you DO practise consistently , Bless - you are a real example to us in that. There is little virtue in eating "well" if our sisters and brothers are going hungry.
ReplyDelete