Healthy eating

ORGANIC farming in Valencia is taking off, with it growing four times faster than other parts of Spain. In the past five years output from the sector has surged 81.2% in the Valencian Community, while the average for the country was a 20.7% growth.

According to the Ministry for Agriculture, the number of organic farms in the region grew 46.1% in the same time period compared to 25.9% for Spain as a whole.

The value of the sector was in 2020 €626 million out of a national total of €3.2 billion.

Only Andalucia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Catalunya are ahead in production, with Valencia fast catching up.

By Alex Trelinski

Barcelona, and Madrid are all in the bottom 10, while Oviedo, Bilbao and Vigo got the highest marks.

Barcelona suffered the worst drop in standards (11 points) since the last survey, with a 10 point drop for Sevilla.

The biggest positive rise was for Guadalajara, with a massive 25 points, followed by Lugo with 18 points.

The survey ‘confirms the lack of progress’ in most large municipalities, insisted OCU.

Issues of concern were dog dirt on pavements, rubbish

CLEAN UP: Actions called for in Alicante

outside containers, and excess graffiti.

“The number of fines for not picking up dog excrement is anecdotal and in most cities it is considered a minor infraction,” added OCU.

RECENT and rapid heating of the world’s oceans has alarmed scientists because it will add to global warming.

Last month the global sea surface hit a new record high temperature.

Sea temperatures have never warmed this much so quickly.

And the clever guys aren’t completely sure as to why. Their concern is that, combined with other weather events, the world’s temperature could reach an alarming high by the end of 2024.

Weather forecasters also expect that a strong El Niño weather event (a weather system that causes the ocean to heat) will also set in during the next few months.

“It is vital that councils pay attention to the complaints of their citizens,” it concluded.