food ethics

Fuelled by climate change, changing diets, peak oil and ever-growing human populations, the world today is facing a food crisis like never before. We believe that drastic change in our food habits is needed to alleviate this crisis for the protection of human health and the sustainability of the planet.

 

Moreover, we believe that food can play such a positive role in our lives: bringing communities together to have fun growing, preparing and sharing food, keeping us healthy and vibrant, nurturing the planet, supporting local economies and making beautiful our local environments.         

 

food and health

 

The damage food is currently doing to our nation's health is inexcusable. Diet-related ill health costs society some £10bn each year – including £6bn to the NHS alone (9% of its 2002 budget) - and malnutrition is estimated to cost public services £7.3bn. Poor diets contribute to a myriad of health problems including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer and obesity – if current trends continue, it is predicted that over half of British adults will be obese by 2050. As well as physical health problems, there is evidence that poor diets contribute to a range of mental health disorders such as depression, ADHD, schizophrenia and dementia.

 

Disadvantaged communities are particularly at risk of poor health. People from these communities are far more likely to live in food deserts - areas where people are unable to access healthy, affordable food within easy walking distance – an issue that is being exacerbated by planning policies that fail to protect local food shops and markets in the face of the increasing growth of supermarkets and their processed foods.

 

Food and Sustainability

Food and Local Economies

Global Food Justice 

Food and Communities