What's the Hungry Gap?

What’s the Hungry Gap?

You may associate Spring with growth, abundance, and fields bursting to life, but the reality is that when it comes to growing food in Spring, it’s quite the opposite. While supermarkets have given us a false sense of Spring seasonality, what actually grows in the UK during March till June makes for slim pickings - with April being the leanest month of the year. This period is called the Hungry Gap - a gap in the season where farmers have harvested their winter crops and used up the onions, potatoes, and roots they’ve stored over winter and are waiting on the spring/summer crops to be ready in May and June. Thus, we’re left with a gap in our season.  

How can I support British farmers during this time? 

If you mainly shop in supermarkets or don’t eat seasonally then it’s pretty easy to ignore the Hungry Gap - we have an abundance of produce flown in from all over the world that enables us to eat whatever we want, whenever we want it. However, there are ways to eat imported food more mindfully and still support UK producers during the Hungry Gap, and all year round.

Many UK farmers who run veg box schemes or farm shops import food from other countries, especially during this time in the season. The difference between supporting them vs. buying imported produce from the supermarket is that organic, small-scale farms will partner with other organic growers in Europe to source imported produce that maintains the standards they set for themselves. In a larger supply chain (i.e. through a supermarket) it is a lot harder to know exactly where your food is coming from and to know that the farmers who grew it are treated right and paid fairly. Farmers will also import foods that are actually in season in those other countries (i.e. Spanish blood oranges) - ensuring that you are eating foods that are naturally at their best and supporting small, local growers in those countries. 

Buying your food from local UK farms through a farm shop, farmers’ market or veg box scheme also enables you to understand more about the UK growing season. While you may be getting a bit more imported produce in your box during the Hungry Gap, you will still be supporting a local business that will offer you honest, transparent food throughout the entire year. This is especially wonderful when the abundance of summer vegetables hits and you can try lots of new things you wouldn’t find in the supermarket. 

What UK veg can I enjoy during the Hungry Gap?

While the Hungry Gap means less variety, there’s still some delicious UK-grown produce to enjoy. From January to April look out for Purple Sprouting Broccoli, it’s delicious in a stir-fry or curry. Wild Garlic comes out in abundance around the end of February till April and can be easily foraged - look out for it in nearby woodlands (but make sure not to mistake it for Lily of the Valley - more on that here). Rhubarb, Spring Greens and New Potatoes (Jersey Royals and Cornish ‘earlies’ are delicious) are available from March till June/July. And, of course, the Asparagus season that starts around late April is a great way to support British growers. 

Spring greens growing at Plotgate Community Farm in Glastonbury, UK

Thoughts On Seaspiracy: Should We All Stop Eating Fish?

Seaspiracy - a documentary that was recently released on Netflix - explores many aspects of the global fishing industry including large-scale commercial fishing, plastic pollution and whether eating fish can ever really be ‘sustainable’. While the documentary has had some criticism for taking quotes out of context, it has shone a spotlight on the fishing industry and caused many to think more about their food choices. One theme that this documentary and others like it tend to have in common is that they expose the problems within our globalised food system. We have access to food from all over the world - and while this luxury of choice has some benefits - it will always come with its problems. When our food is traveling across oceans to reach us, it can be pretty difficult to know where it’s come from and how it was grown, raised, or caught. So, can we still enjoy these foods without feeling caught in a system that we don’t fully trust?

One issue raised in Seaspiracy is around food labels - can we trust them? As consumers, we use food labels to ease our conscience around whether our food reaches a certain standard that doesn’t harm the natural environment or wildlife. The distance between the food at the supermarket and those who actually produce it can be far and wide, which is why we need labels and certification bodies. While there are some certification bodies and organisations doing good work to ensure that we can eat food from further afield and still know it’s come from a ‘trustworthy’ source, these labels and certifications aren’t always watertight or a guarantee. This will always be a problem within a global food system where our food is measured in air miles and we often don’t even know where it was produced. I cannot speak to every issue raised in Seaspiracy, but this issue of globalisation in food is a big reason why we are left with a feeling of hopelessness after watching these documentaries - how can we ever change a system that’s so big and, clearly, not transparent?

Our global food system has skewed our understanding of sustainability - to quote Guy Singh-Watson, Founder of Riverford, ‘anyone offering you a continuous range of fresh, day boat-landed fish is lying’ [1]. The reality is that sourcing enough fish out of the ocean to feed the number of people on this planet that want to eat ‘sustainable’ fish will never be a sustainable endeavour that benefits our oceans. To quote Guy again, ‘we need marine reserves where all commercial fishing is banned. Disturbance of the sea bottom should be illegal. Quotas need to be redistributed to smaller, local boats. The plundering of fish stock in the developing world by large foreign boats must stop, and fossil fuels must be taxed. If that is politically undoable, then yes, we should stop eating fish.’ 

However, in reality, a lot of people will never give up fish. So, is there another solution? The reason why so many people, after watching Seaspiracy, declared that they would never eat fish again is due to a lack of trust in our food system - so how can we repair it? We need to accept that certain foods will never be sustainably sourced in a global supply chain and question whether that means we should be eating them at all. We need a mental shift when it comes to our view of ‘sustainable food’ - if we cannot play an active role in, or even observe directly, where the food we’re eating came from then we will always be relying on someone else (usually with their own interests) to tell us that it’s sustainable. If you aren’t willing to investigate further how or where your food comes from then maybe you shouldn’t be eating it. The same goes for vegetables and meat - we need to support systems that are actually slow, work with nature, and are light on the planet. It means that if you choose to eat fish or meat, you eat it on occasion and from a traceable - and preferably local - source that is transparent and non-intensive.

Support small-scale farmers, fishermen, growers etc. who are producing food for their local communities, as they cut out the middlemen that stop us from fully understanding what we are eating. We don’t need a label to tell us whether something is produced in the right way if we have a direct relationship with our local producer. We all have power when it comes to the choices we are making every day with the food that we buy and consume. There are plenty of people producing food in a sustainable, honest way and if we want to change the system then we need to support them, rather than a system that we don’t trust. Food is political - as long as we choose to put our money into a system, that system will keep on growing and thriving. So, if we choose to put our money into a more transparent and (legitimately) sustainable food system then that is the system that will thrive.

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[1] https://wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/opinion/news-farm-fish-environment-ethics/uncomfortable-truth-about-fishing

Who Controls The Seed Market?

Wednesday 14th September 2016 was a pretty big day for me. I had spent the previous four or so months writing, researching, and editing a 10,000-word thesis on the implementation of Genetic Modification (GM) in Africa for my Master’s degree dissertation - this was the day I finally stopped researching and handed in my paper. This research (and my degree in general) was where my passion for seed sovereignty, food politics, and farming began - with genetically modified seeds.

In its simplest form, GM is the altering of the genetic make-up of an organism. In agriculture, the aim of implementing GM crops is to increase the crop’s resistance to drought and insects, while also enhancing the speed and size of the crop’s growth. You may be wondering why advancements in agricultural biotechnology are relevant to your life, stick with me and we’ll get to that.

You may have heard scare stories about GMO’s (genetically modified organisms). Such stories often revolve around Monsanto, pesticides or the belief that GMO’s cause cancer. While the negative connotations surrounding GM are important and relevant, they will not be the focal point of this piece. Instead, I am going to talk about seeds.

Another reason why Wednesday 14th September 2016 was a pretty big day for me is due to seeds. On this day Monsanto, one of the world’s largest agrochemical companies, was bought out by Bayer, a German pharmaceutical and chemical giant, in a $66 billion merger. Why is this relevant? Well, this merger led to Bayer owning Monsanto and, in turn, owning nearly 30% of the seed market worldwide. Among a host of mergers and acquisitions between major agrochemical companies in the last few years, we are heading for a future in which the ‘big three’ largest companies will have control over our entire food system. This is relevant to you because it will result in them making the decisions regarding what is in your food, how much it costs and whether it is pesticide-laden and genetically modified [1].

For the last 12,000 or so years, farmers would save seeds, clean them, and re-plant them the following year. Nowadays, mostly in countries like the U.S. where GM production is legal and widespread, the saving of seed is illegal if a farmer is using GM seed. This means that farmers have to spend far more money each year buying new seeds and can be sued if they attempt to save their seeds. Now, don’t get me wrong here, these companies have to protect themselves, understandably, and have a right to put laws in place regarding their product. Yet, my issue here is more to do with the fact that nature has become a commodity in and of itself, that a handful of companies have the right to own and patent seeds.

As the future of our food system is continuously questioned regarding new technologies there needs to be a push for further debate regarding the actions of large corporations. If we do not question these actions we are allowing our future to be placed in the hands of the few rather than the many. The realities of the control maintained by these groups are often unseen and unheard, and thus unquestioned. Maybe it is time we start questioning it.

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[1] Although these companies do not control the laws of countries worldwide, their influence is growing. For example, in Europe GM is largely banned, yet Bayer are a German company with huge influence over business in Europe. If Bayer acquire Monsanto then the future may be uncertain regarding the relationship between GM products and the EU.

Why All Children Should Learn How To Grow Food

As a child, I would watch each year as my mother planted seeds - she would poke holes into the soil and place them into the earth. I accepted the process without question when vegetables ended up on my plate - it wasn’t until I planted the seeds myself that it clicked. I learnt that food is not meant to be a pre-packaged product that never expires. I saw first-hand how the simple action of planting and nurturing food can inspire and, both physically and mentally, aid us.

When we plant a seed we instantly become part of a cycle of growth and regeneration - we intertwine with the elements to foster the development of foods that have sustained humankind for millennia. In doing so we not only give our time and energy over to this process but equally gain a wealth of knowledge in return. The soil can teach us lessons that we cannot learn anywhere else.

This is why it’s so important that children are exposed to growing food from a young age. Whatever their background, social circumstances or economic status - access to an outdoor growing space should be a basic right, especially for children. Through the act of growing food, children can learn how to take responsibility for a life, nurture a seed from planting to harvest day and actively participate in the food system.

Through this simple action, children are offered a direct connection to a powerful life force in the form of soil. One tablespoon of soil contains more organisms in it than there are people on earth. While it may just seem like a bit of dirt on your shoe, there’s an entire world in a piece of mud. And while there are many types of soil for different uses, if we ran out of soil tomorrow the stability of our world would very quickly collapse [2].

As a child, it was only through experiencing how food ended up on my plate that I came to value the process - by reconnecting with our food in this way we can begin to understand its value. This value not only extends to the quality of our food but also to the actual content. When children have the opportunity to taste, touch and experience the food that they have grown themselves they will start to see all other food in a different way and themselves in a different way too. Children are our future leaders, pioneers and changemakers - showing them the importance of growing food in a way that benefits both people and the planet will empower them with the knowledge to make choices for a better world in the long run.

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[1] http://www.audubon.org/news/10-incredible-facts-about-dirt

[2]http://world.time.com/2012/12/14/what-if-the-worlds-soil-runs-out/

Why I Care About the Future of British Farming (And I Think You Should Too)

Growing up, I never had a great fascination in my own country’s food system. As a British 20-something, I have spent most of my life believing that farming was only reserved for the older generations. Despite working at local farmers’ markets, volunteering on local farms and growing my own vegetables, there was always something about the British farming industry that didn’t interest me much.

Throughout my master’s degree, I wrote countless papers on Genetically Modified food in Africa, the state of the seed market in the U.S. and the treatment of farmers in India. Since my passion for farming has grown I have often thought about moving abroad to meet like-minded young people who are intent on making change happen in the food system. While I believe it is really important to understand and explore cultures that differ from your own, I have invested a lot of time studying foreign food systems while often naively ignoring what’s going on in Britain.

A few years ago, back in 2013, I boarded a plane alone at the age of 19 headed for Southern Africa. As a young writer with a passion for environmentalism, I thought I was going to change the world. At this point in my life food and farming were of very little importance to me; I was unaware of how my food choices affected the world beyond my own plate. I was in Africa working with a South African NGO on the issue of deforestation in Zambia. Beyond all of the things I learnt in Africa, one of the most important was that food matters, and not only what we eat but the many processes that go into bringing that food to us.

Fast-forward 3 years to 2016 and I am in London sat at my kitchen table with one of my best friends, a South African that I met while I was in Zambia. We inevitably got talking about the issues South Africa had been facing socially, economically and politically. Between 2006 and 2016 data showed that 102,793 young people emigrated from South Africa to countries like the U.K. and Australia, the majority of them being between 25 and 29[1]. Yet, when I asked her if she wanted to move away she told me that she didn’t plan to, because if everyone leaves then who will bring the country forward into a promising future?

As Brexit looms in the U.K. the future of British farming has seemed a rather gloomy subject. Uncertainty is all I am met with whenever I ask farmers how they see the future playing out; from the falling rates of seasonal workers coming to work on British farms to the lack of clarity when it comes to future subsidies and support. Yet, I have recently realised that if young people lack any desire to support British food and farming in future then we have little hope. My friend’s desire to remain in South Africa, despite its issues, has always inspired me; we all want to change the world but maybe the biggest step to achieving that is starting at home.

While I am aware that the majority of people reading this may not share my passion for growing food, I believe that our collective interest in our local food system matters. From increasing our support of local farmers, even in small ways, to demanding more transparency from our politicians, local supermarkets and the industry as a whole, we can create a future for British food beyond Brexit that is positive and sustainable.

Farming is a fast-moving, innovative business. From finding solutions to growing food more sustainably to figuring out how we are going to feed our growing world population, farmers are at the forefront of political, social and economic innovation. As a young British person with the desire to enter into this turbulent business, I find myself excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for the future of food. Brexit is one among many fears looming in the British conscience, but with great change comes the possibility to create new, innovative ways to inspire people about the food that they grow and eat. Whether you’re a producer or consumer, I believe that’s a conversation we should all be a part of.

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[1] https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/131802/this-is-who-is-emigrating-from-south-africa-and-where-they-are-going/

How Growing Food Can Improve Your Mental Health

Every Thursday morning I used to walk down a path in the middle of a field. The path was laid out with wood chip and soil. To my left a labyrinth of large courgette and squash leaves sheltered the vegetables hiding beneath them; to my right an array of herbs grew, resembling a mini forest. My mood instantly changed when I set foot on this path. Walking through the wooden gate that led to the path, I felt instantly at ease; at home amongst the compost and non-judgemental eyes of well-watered vegetables.

The path led me to a shed filled with familiar faces, all here seeking the same space that I was seeking. A place where their mind could let go and focus on something entirely different. From just in front of the shed you could see the entire skyline of London, from the Shard to the BT tower. It only took me over an hour to get there from Brixton, but it felt like another world entirely. You would rarely see people using their phones, the air actually felt fresh and instead of high-rise buildings you were surrounded by rows of salad leaves, Polytunnels and a tractor.

What image does the idea of city life evoke for you? Buses, crowds of people, offices maybe. For those of us that live in busy cities like London, it can be very hard to switch off and relax. Our brains are in a constant cycle of deadlines, meetings and general life admin that seems harder to achieve when you live in this cacophony of constant motion. We have little insight into how our lives are ruled by technology; we wonder why we find it hard to sleep at night, even though our brains are constantly stimulated.

Until I discovered a place where my mind could rest I had little understanding of how much it needed to do just that. As a society, we have a habit of downplaying the importance of self-care in favour of a ‘get it done’ attitude - as if there isn’t room to stop for a few hours and allow your mind to switch tack, to focus on something that has nothing to do with your work or reaching a goal set by your superiors.

A recent study published by Preventative Medicine Reports suggested that less time spent in nature “results in a number of health and behavioural problems, which in sum can constitute a ‘nature-deficit disorder.’” We all know that being in nature can boost our mood and offers many medical benefits, including increased vitamin D production from exposure to the sun and the release of serotonin stimulated by physical activity, the ‘happy chemical’. But what growing food on a farm or an allotment has, as opposed to simply walking alone in nature, is being part of a community. Not only can you do an activity that gets you outside, gets your hands dirty and connects you with the earth, but you can also simultaneously be part of a like-minded community while doing it. As a recent study on the health benefits of urban allotment growing concluded, “regular gardening on allotment sites is associated with improved physical, psychological and social health.”

In England, there is increasing awareness of the importance of getting outdoors. The number of urban food-growing projects is steadily rising and people seem more aware of the importance of mental health and self-care, and their relation to nature. But there is still a record-number of young people in Britain taking anti-depressants, and preventative measures like gardening or yoga need to be taken far more seriously. Growing food not only has the power to improve mental health but also has the power to unite communities and empower people to make their own choices when it comes to their food. Choices that, in turn, could have a profound effect on how they feel in mind, body and spirit.