wicked leeks SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND ETHICAL BUSINESS ISSUE 3 - SUMMER 2020
Plus
NEWS: Covid-19 shapes new food habits Restaurant sector reels from crisis Brits urged to pick veg
Interview with youth activist Mya-Rose Craig Lucy Siegle on an eco identity crisis
LIFESTYLE:
How to forage like a chef The joy of spring veg
CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL:
A WHOLE NEW WORLD WICKEDLEEKS.COM Published by Riverford Organic Farmers
EDITOR’S LETTER
CONTRIBUTORS Permaculture and community food expert, Marina O’Connell, on the resilient local food supply chain that’s been waiting in the wings. P8.
Journalist and regular Wicked Leeks contributor Anna Turns with the top five eco lessons she learnt during lockdown. P10.
Founder of Riverford, Guy Singh-Watson, on whether it’s time to question preconceptions about food and farming. P7.
Welcome I
t’s hard to believe just how much the world has changed. In two months, coronavirus and the ensuing lockdown has transformed much of society as we knew it, with huge changes in how we eat, buy and distribute food. Home delivery went through the roof, while supermarket shelves emptied in a frenzy of panic buying. As the weeks went by, a new kind of food routine was established: buying what is available and adapting menus and recipes accordingly. This is a huge mindset shift from the limitless choice that we’ve been taught to expect up until now, and one that leaves the door open for a new era of sustainable food, based around fewer food miles and flexibility. Wicked Leeks has covered the outbreak widely, from food delivery, picking of veg, changing food habits, education, and food insecurity, to the impact on small farmers overseas. Browse our Coronavirus Special on pages 4-5 and look out for the logo throughout the issue for other articles covering the impact. What many are now asking is how permanent will all these changes be? Will the resilience shown by local food supply chains mean we buy more from within our community? Will the exponential interest in cooking and thriftiness continue? How does the climate crisis come back in as a priority? Our columnists cover these questions and more on pages 7-10. This magazine has sustainable food and environmental values at its heart - but there is always a need to remain informed of other points of view. That’s why our Special Report on GM food (pages 18-20) is valid reading. With a Prime Minister who is in favour, plus a whole new world of controversial trade deals coming our way, there is an unprecedented time of change approaching, and one we should all be preparing for.
Nina Pullman, Editor, Wicked Leeks @nina_pullman
Journalist Lucy Siegle examines the reality of coronavirus during a time of climate crisis, beginning with the plastic comeback. P10.
Wicked Leeks magazine is published by Riverford Organic Farmers. Mailing address: Wash Farm, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0JU. E: wickedleeks@riverford.co.uk T: 01803 227416 Follow us #WickedLeeks @Riverford Editor: Design: Marketing:
Nina Pullman Arianne Marlow Max Harrop
CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL
Covid-19 shapes new food habits By Nina Pullman
O
ver 19 million Brits say they are cooking more from scratch since the coronavirus lockdown while 17 million are throwing away less food, according to a new poll. The new YouGov survey, which was commissioned by the RSA’s Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), along with the charity The Food Foundation, said there are “significant changes to our relationship with food, family and the environment” emerging since lockdown. The poll surveyed 4,343 UK adults between 7 and 9 April 2020, and results were weighted and extrapolated out to the rest of the adult population. Other findings include six per cent (equating to three million people) who have tried a veg box scheme or ordered food from a local farm for the first time, while 42 per cent said they value food more than before. Over half (51 per cent) say they have noticed cleaner air, and 27 per cent have seen more wildlife, since the lockdown began. Social bonds are stronger, with 40 per cent feeling a stronger sense of local community and 39 per cent said they are more in touch with friends and family. Only nine per cent of Brits want the personal and social changes they have seen to return to normal, while 85 per cent say they would like them be permanent, leading experts to suggest this is a long-term shift in how people perceive food, farming, health and the environment. “This research is showing that important changes are starting to take hold which government must use to guide future policy,” said Sue Pritchard, FFCC director.
Research lead for the RSA’s commission, Professor Tom MacMillan from the Royal Agricultural University, said: “This data shows there is a real appetite for change, and for the nation to learn from this crisis. People are trying new things and noticing differences, at home, in their work and in communities. “Alongside the emergency response, it is important keep track of these changes in what we’re doing and our collective mood, to help shape the kind of country we want to be, including the way want to feed ourselves, when we recover from this pandemic.” Meanwhile food and farming businesses, and the food media, are already adapting to the new environment and interest in food. New cooking shows, including Jamie Oliver’s Keep Cooking and Carry On, on Channel 4, are responding to the interest in flexible scratch cooking, while organic veg box company Riverford has set up a new Veg Hub to help those who are new to a veg box. An initiative called ‘Lockdown Learning’, from farmer-led platform Eat Farm Now, along with the NFU’s education arm, is offering videos about food production made by farmers as a free educational resource. With a different theme every week, lessons have included an Easter special on the lambing season with shepherdess Hannah Jackson, an episode from a small-scale organic farm on how to feed the soil with compost, and a piece by one of Ribena’s British blackcurrant growers. Elsewhere, a campaign to get nature back on the curriculum has received new momentum as some parents try schooling out of doors. To read all of Wicked Leeks’ coronavirus coverage, go to wickedleeks.com/coronavirus.
‘Spread kindness not corona’
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CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL
Food union helps ‘devastated’ eating-out sector By Nina Pullman
CORONAVIRUS AND FOOD BY NUMBERS
50,000 number of Brits who have applied for farm work Empty restaurants have left a backlog in supply. Image Lussmans St Albans.
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hefs, restaurateurs and suppliers in Bristol have joined forces in a new union to protect their livelihoods and help keep food moving after closures due to Covid-19 left the sector reeling. Prime Minister Boris Johnson closed restaurants, pubs and other public eateries across the UK from 20 March to enforce social distancing as the virus took hold, leaving supply chains overloaded and chefs and restaurateurs facing loss of livelihoods almost overnight. The mass closure of the eating-out sector compounds the cancellation of events and festivals across the summer, another vital outlet for small-scale food producers. Bristol Food Union (BFU) was set up by a group of chefs and restaurateurs in response to the crisis, along with several independent restaurant groups in Bristol, partnering with Caring in Bristol and Feeding Bristol to reach the city’s homeless and vulnerable citizens. The union crowdfunded £20,000 in one week and is supplying around 500 meals a day to frontline groups in the city, including social care and vulnerable adults, homeless citizens, and NHS and emergency workers. Meals are ordered by frontline services, and a chef coordinator from BFU then distributes orders to secure production kitchens in closed restaurants. They cost £5 to produce with £1 going to BFU and £4 to the restaurant, with the majority going directly to suppliers.. “You might have one restaurant making 100 veggie bakes for that day, or another making 50 lasagnes,” said Aine Morris, who co-founded BFU with Michelin-starred chef Josh Eggleton and Steph Wetherell of Bristol Food Producers. “It won’t sustain a business completely, but it does mean we have chefs in kitchens who are ordering
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produce from their supply chain,” she said. Morris, who is a former director of the Abergavenny Food Festival, warned that it is the small producers who will be hit hardest: “The big supermarkets have enough cash in the bank to ride this out. The small artisan cheese maker, or other small producers, absolutely do not.” Some larger suppliers have begun selling direct to customers, while restaurants and pubs have moved into takeaways in an effort to keep trading. “We can’t expect the shopping public to go online and start shopping from 15 individual websites,” said Morris. “So we created one point of information and a way of supporting those businesses.” The idea for a food union has been building in Bristol to help connect the public to their food supply chain, but it was fast-tracked in response to coronavirus, said Morris, who stressed that although many have offered voluntary work, it’s “not just charity”. “We are fighting for our livelihoods and our incomes,” she said. “I am a single parent with two children to support, one chef involved has three children and his house is mortgaged against his business, another has three restaurants and won’t be able to re-open two of them. This is not just charity, we’re literally fighting for our lives.” The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) said the impact of coronavirus has been “devastating” for both suppliers and restaurants. “Closing the doors on an industry that employs three million people and serves eight billion meals a year was a drastic, if essential step,” said Tom Tanner, a spokesperson for the SRA. “What’s heartening, but really not that surprising in an industry as nimble and creative as ours, is the extraordinary way in which some operators have adapted their model,” he said.
17,000L The amount of milk one farmer had to pour away due to the crisis in dairy (p.12-13)
19 million Brits say they are cooking more from scratch since the coronavirus lockdown
81% The increase in demand for emergency food parcels since the outbreak of the virus, according to the Trussell Trust
MOST READ ON WICKEDLEEKS.COM 1. How to make veg crisps 2. Store cupboard tips and tricks 3. Spilt milk: Covid-19 and dairy 4. Covid shapes new food habits 5. A question of ownership
CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL
Coronavirus sends home delivery soaring as UK locks down H
ome delivery retailers and box schemes saw demand skyrocket due to the coronavirus outbreak and after government advice that people stay home and reduce social contact. People self-isolating, or choosing to avoid public shopping spaces, drove the initial spike in demand, which saw organic veg box company Riverford pause orders and new customer registrations, queues to access online retailer Ocado’s website, and two-week long waits for delivery slots from major supermarkets. Riverford recorded its highest ever number of deliveries outside of Christmas, driven by existing customers switching to a weekly order, or adding more items to regular orders. Staff at the employeeowned business were redeployed from
sales and marketing to customer services, the packhouse and as van drivers to help pack and deliver boxes. “We’ve seen unprecedented demand at very short notice, putting huge strain on our box-packing lines and drivers. To help us catch up, we had to temporarily stop taking any new orders or accepting new customers,” said managing director, Rob Haward. There were no issues with supply of vegetables, Haward added, thanks to an unusually plentiful UK season and gluts in produce including cauliflowers and purple sprouting broccoli. Imports from Spain and Italy were also not affected. Meanwhile, fresh produce aisles at major supermarkets were emptied as shoppers anticipated the coming
Brits urged to pick veg to fill labour gaps B
ritish people out of work or facing income losses due to the coronavirus outbreak are being urged to apply for jobs on farms ahead of a huge anticipated shortage of European pickers. Some 50,000 people have answered a call from an alliance of labour providers to the fresh produce sector urging Brits to apply for paid work on farms, while individual suppliers of salad, berries and organic vegetables are running their own campaigns. The UK’s biggest salad grower, G’s Fresh, launched a national recruitment drive for 2,500 jobs on its farms in Cambridgeshire, East Anglia and West Sussex, after seasonal workers from Central Europe, many of whom return every year, were unable to travel. The company is appealing to those who may have lost jobs or income due to coronavirus, hospitality
workers who have been furloughed, as well as school leavers or university students. Jobs include tractor drivers, field workers and engineers, and pay is around £400 a week plus extra for ‘piece work’. “We’re already facing challenges bringing people over from Romania and Bulgaria,” said G’s HR director, Beverly Dixon. “Like many businesses, we were looking at putting on planes, but people don’t necessarily want to get on them. “We hope that those who may not have considered horticulture as a job may now think again. It’s physical work, it gets you outside, and we are classed as ‘key workers’,” she said. The UK’s fresh produce industry requires around 70,000 seasonal workers a year to help pick seasonal fruit and veg, many of which begin to come into season at the beginning of May.
lockdown and the government faced criticism for failing to adequately prepare the UK’s food businesses or the public for the crisis. Supermarkets were the first to warn against stockpiling, writing in an open letter in newspapers to ask people to “be considerate in the way they shop”.
Supermarket shelves were left bare.
Star letter More insightful and comprehensive than any other articles on this issue that I’ve read. Maybe one piece of a solution for some farmers would be to get together to cut out the middle man and sell directly to the public, as Riverford has done. But I’m sure this takes an awful lot of skill, work and time to set up and get going! Susan D.
Tweeted @foodincommun 25 April
Since #lockdown started, 15,000 meals worth of #surplusfood, donated by local producers & makers, has been collected & distributed by our volunteers to people in need...across #SouthHams, #Teignbridge & #Torbay
@overthefarmgate 12 May
@Riverford 12 May
Do you eat/drink/wear/ buy...Bananas, Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, Cotton, Sugar, Flowers? Many people growing these & keeping us fed/clothed, are facing a #humanitarian crisis as a result of the #Covid19 pandemic, as supply chains stall and prices drop.
Fantastic news! Checking cupboards & making lists before shopping has led to households wasting around 1/3 less food during lockdown, despite buying more. Have you noticed a difference in food waste in your own home? Read more on #WickedLeeks. 5
NEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF Allotment land declines Land dedicated to allotments has fallen by 65 per cent in the last 6o years with the most deprived urban areas seeing the biggest losses, a new study has found. Researchers from the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food analysed historic maps covering the major cities across the UK from the beginning of the 20th century to 2016. They found just over a quarter of the historical allotments were still present, while almost half had been built on, and another quarter had been repurposed.
‘Switch banks and energy supplier’ People were urged to switch to renewable energy suppliers and ethical banks as part of the global event Earth Day (22 April). According to NGO BankTrack, the top five UK banks have invested more than £150 billion into financing fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement in 2016, including £45bn for the expansion of fossil fuel projects.
For more news on the environment, farming and food sustainability, visit: wickedleeks.com/news
Hidden deforestation cost of food revealed By Nina Pullman
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eople may be eating food that has indirectly contributed to deforestation in South America without realising it, the World Wildlife Fund has said. The hidden deforestation impact of food is in the spotlight thanks to the WWF campaign ‘Let’s get deforestation #OffOurPlates’, which focuses on the soy used in animal feed and is a major contributor to deforestation in places like Brazil. Buying local and British-sourced meat is not a guarantee that no deforestation has been caused, WWF said, as Europeans typically eat around 61kg of soy a year without realising. “People don’t want to eat food that’s destroying forests – but deforestation is hidden even in food that appears home-grown,” said Katie White, WWF executive director of advocacy and campaigns. “Action by individual businesses or consumers isn’t enough. We need the UK government to show decisive leadership to take deforestation off our plates with legislation that makes it illegal to import products that contribute to the destruction of forests.” The soy fed to animals that produce food mostly comes from South America, where production has nearly tripled in the last 20 years, and
is predicted to double again by 2050, said WWF. Until recently, the focus has been around the environmental impact of beef and dairy, and ruminant methane emissions. But NGOs and environment groups have begun to highlight that in the UK, where lots of beef is part-raised on grass and not grain, it is likely that poultry consumption has the bigger environmental impact. A recent report by Greenpeace found that British consumers swapping red meat for chicken may be “contributing unwittingly to the destruction of South American forests” because of a “total failure” by high street brands to monitor where animal feed comes from. The report, called ‘Winging it: How the UK’s chicken habit is fuelling the climate and nature emergency’, found the UK imports over three million tonnes of soy every year from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay to feed factory-farmed animals, primarily chickens. “The simple truth is, we cannot continue to consume any type of industrially-produced meat in the volumes we currently are,” said Greenpeace UK forest campaigner, Chiara Vitali.
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WICKED LEEKS OPINION Wicked Leeks columnists discuss the potential for readjusting our expectations, how local food supply proved its strength, and how Covid-19 prompted an eco identity crisis. For weekly opinion on food politics, sustainable farming and ethical living:
WICKEDLEEKS.COM/OPINION
Frogs, baseline readjustment and hope Guy Singh-Watson Founder of organic veg box company Riverford
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able would have it that if the temperature is raised slowly enough, a frog will sit in a pan of water until it is boiled alive rather than jump out. Wikipedia tells me this isn’t true – but the principle that we tolerate small incremental changes, which if amassed would cause revolt, certainly is (of humans, if not of frogs). George Monbiot describes it as “baseline readjustment”; we have slowly got used to the depletion of moths, fish, bees, the dawn chorus, and arguably empathy for the vulnerable, slightly readjusting our expectations each year based on recent experience, rather than that of our youth. If we notice changes at all, somehow we are convinced that resistance is futile, impractical, or just too expensive to economic growth. We have surrendered our autonomy and the future of our planet to market forces, despite the fact that, collectively, we are those forces. Sometimes it takes a shock to wake the frog from its stupor and make it jump. Perhaps it is not inevitable that half our food is imported (as I write, my neighbour is ploughing a field to plant with courgettes at one week’s notice); that what we do grow is almost exclusively
picked by imported hands (we have been inundated with applications from UK
If we can mount this response to one global crisis, perhaps we will finally realise that we can do better over climate breakdown, which will kill many more. nationals); that culinary fulfilment is seen as dependent on having the choice of eight types of tomato, 365 days a year (so far almost everyone seems happy with
our radically reduced offering). Perhaps we can cook for ourselves, from scratch, from what is available, rather than ordering a take-away or ready-meal (UK searches for ‘how to cook’ are up 3,600 per cent). Perhaps we might spend more of our huge wealth on looking after the vulnerable (there seems to be a growing acceptance that businesses should serve rather than exploit). Despite the suffering and tragedy, one silver lining of coronavirus must be this undeniable proof that we are not the boiled frogs of the fable. We do have control over our destiny; we are not eight billion heartless, mindless consumers, just waiting to be cooked alive. If we can mount this response to one global crisis, perhaps we will finally realise that we can do better over climate breakdown, which will kill many more, and offer no chance of recovery. Rather than readjusting each year to an incrementally crueller, uglier planet, we could take a collective pride in finding collective solutions. I think we might need to rid ourselves of Trump first, though. To read Guy’s weekly newsletter, go to wickedleeks.com/author/guy-singhwatson.
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OPINION
Covid-19 is bringing local food to the fore Marina O’Connell Permaculture expert and founder of The Apricot Centre
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n the absence of cruise ships, wildlife has re-inhabited the canals of Venice. In Totnes, in the absence of something I can’t quite put a name to, the local food systems are re-inhabiting the food supply chain, growing and reforming networks day by day, like mycelium growing through the soil. As the supermarkets empty, people are confined to their homes and the fear of illness pervades everything, people are turning back to local, resilient healthy food systems everywhere. And not just in Totnes. As the restaurants and pubs empty, local food is re-directed into vegetable boxes and delivered to people’s homes; as the local brewery closes the beer goes on the delivery round; the
Local food supply chains have proved themselves resilient in a crisis.
local bakery sales drop, so the bread goes on to the delivery round; the local catering service has her events and weddings cancelled, so she starts making stews for home delivery and those go on the delivery round. Local milk, local cheese, and even honey: it all goes on the round. In the first two weeks of the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK, our small business, The Apricot Centre geared up from 60 vegetable boxes per week to over 200, with all of the other deliveries included. Shillingford Organic farm in Exeter geared up from 200
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to 700 in the same time period. I am sure this is replicated all over the UK. Sales of seeds, seedlings, and chickens have also gone through the roof as people create their own food security. Whether these changes in shopping and eating habits remain after the outbreak remains to be seen, and perhaps is unlikely. But what we are learning is that, like the fish and birds reappearing in Venice, the local resilient food system is there just below the surface and it can flourish quickly in the absence of something I cannot yet put a name to. In south Devon, these local food systems and networks have been building for some years, with the influence of places like Schumacher College, Sharpham House, and the Transition Town movement, and the many people who just like to eat local, organic food. Local growers have formed groups to support and learn from each other and meet for the occasional pint. It is these already established networks that have allowed such a fast reaction to the rapidly changing conditions: as the restaurants closed, delivery schemes inundated with orders allowed for fast switches from one market to another to happen. Now we’re at the beginning of spring, we’re having rapid discussions about changing cropping plans to adapt what is being grown this season for the local food markets, rather that the restaurant trade. All of this means that all the growers can stay in business, and even flourish, and local people get fed healthy local food, helping them to stay well. The changes that are happening during the Covid-19 outbreak are also what’s needed to help address climate change. Food systems need to re-localise, de-carbonise and become more seasonal. Food sovereignty in this sense is vital for secure food supply chains. I had personally become convinced that in the current political climate, (well that of two weeks ago), that these changes were very unlikely to happen, that they had been pushed way down the agenda and would only be implemented way too late to be effective. How wrong could I be? It just shows that with the right political will, these changes can be made very quickly indeed.
OPINION
CLIMATE OF CRISIS: THE PLASTIC COMEBACK Lucy Siegle Environmental journalist and author of Turning the Tide on Plastic @lucysiegle
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s anyone else having an eco identity crisis right now? You know, just to layer on top of Covid-19 and the climate crisis? I am. It involves plastic. Following the massive public awakening that followed Blue Planet II and the realisation that 8-12 million tonnes of plastic enters the world’s ocean systems each day, millions began to view the plastic industry (99 per cent of which is linked to conventional oil extraction) in a clear-eyed honest way. But now the beach cleans are stopped, and plastic is staging a reputational comeback. The packaging industry (of which plastic is a major component) is pushing hard behind the scenes as you may imagine. As an example EUROPEN, the European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment, has been lobbying for raw materials for packing to come through the designated priority lanes coming into the EU. Because not all heroes wear capes. In these long and unsettling days of Covid-19, they largely come shrouded in masks, hazmat suits and latex gloves (PPE supplies permitting). Even if we’re not on the frontline, the desire to shroud and wrap naturally transfers to crisis shopping baskets; bleach, wipes, the heat-sealed plastic food packets and swaddled loo rolls (if you can get any). These in turn become the hero products of our hour. Single use, disposable and multi layered packaging that needs to be prised open with scissors, offers comfort. We feel protected. The psychology isn’t hard, is it? I can’t help but wonder, as I reach for a
plastic single use glove to use the petrol pump – in peace time I would be very angry about someone doing this – how far will that rehabilitation go? After all of this, will the shrink-wrapped coconut (my own particular long-term nemesis) be paraded through the streets, hailed as a Covid-19 hero?
Crisis materials cannot be everyday materials. Plastic comes at a huge cost. At this point we need to check in with our first principles. The primary thing these materials and designs (I’m thinking of the multi layered pouch here) really protect is our fragmented and pressurised supply chains, where the true cost is externalised. It might be the only available response this time, but that’s because, as is often explored in Wicked Leeks, the food supply chain is not built on anything approaching Earth logic and is fantastically out of kilter with the way ecosystems operate. That’s another urgent conversation we will need to have, after this. Plastic comes with a huge cost. It has an impact at every stage of its production and use and it cannot be disappeared.
Granted it’s useful in an emergency, but crisis materials can’t be everyday materials, unless we live perennially in a crisis. Our gains come at another community’s loss; many epidemiologists suggest that plastic waste in countries such as Indonesia (a frequent recipient of our plastic waste) could act as a vector for infectious diseases such dengue, Zika and malaria. It is a hard thing to balance your cherished eco principles when you can’t necessarily action them or advocate for them. At the moment we must surrender to the reality of where we are right now. You might need to use a wipe (please do not flush these), or a single use glove to protect yourself. You couldn’t reduce, you cannot reuse and you can’t recycle it – only nine per cent of plastic is recycled globally in normal times anyway. And it may end up being incinerated or put into landfill, which you will hate. But don’t give up on the principles. They are hard won, they are on the money and they will be needed. The phrase or idea that keeps popping into my head is one coined by author and academic Donna Haraway and it means ‘committing to the difficult, uncompromising task of trying to live better together on a damaged planet’, and staying true to the types of thinking that will build a more liveable future. What I’m saying is we need to stay with the trouble, through the trouble. Read the rest of Lucy’s Climate of Crisis series at wickedleeks.com/author/lucy-siegle
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OPINION
Five eco lessons I’ve learnt from lockdown Anna Turns, environment journalist @AnnaTurns
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hile the collective trauma of this worms living in it. global pandemic is distressing, I certainly don’t miss shopping in the enforced pause on ‘normal’ life supermarkets. Unable to get delivery has given nature a chance to recover slots from the ‘big four’, we’ve discovered with cleaner air, louder dawn choruses, alternatives. Supporting sustainable quieter oceans and fewer contrails cross fisheries, traditional artisan production and the blue skies. regenerative farming is a chance to boost As a biologist, I believe we’re living rural economies and enhance biodiversity. through a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Buying direct from farmers, fishermen, to create a greener future. Lockdown butchers and independent producers that has sharpened my focus and instead of have rapidly shifted to offer home delivery reverting to life pre-coronavirus, I hope helps to reinforce shorter supply chains for a massive step-change in behaviour that could be more resilient in the longand attitude. Politicians and business term. leaders take note – the transition to net Looking ahead, the imminent global zero carbon emissions is absolutely recession is an opportunity to kickstart a possible if we act now. While mitigating new and more ethical financial system. If climate change won’t involve extreme airlines get bailed out by the government, social distancing and self-isolation, there surely that has to come with green are valuable environmental lessons to be caveats and carbon taxes, for example. learnt from this experience. Any investment must be environmentallyA jar half full? Reasons for optimism post-corona. Imagine an empty jam jar. If you fill it minded to springboard us into a future that with sand first, it’s really difficult to then fit prioritises green tech, clean energy and in the bigger pebbles and rocks on top. But agroecology. if you put the rocks and pebbles that represent the more important Right now, we can press the reset button and decide how best environmental priorities in first, the smaller grains of sand will fit in to refill our empty jam jars. There’s no need to fear a new ‘normal’ the spaces around them. In order to adapt, we need a rethink. – there’s a positive way out of this; we just need to put the biggest For the first time, I’m seriously tempted to ditch my car pebbles back in the jar first. altogether instead of switching to an electric car in the future. Reducing the total miles driven and number of cars on the road is as crucial as electrification of our transport system. Without a car, I’d save money, probably stay fitter – walking, cycling and running Anna Turns explores how an alternative approach to lockdown more over recent weeks has felt quite liberating – and travel plans learning can help reconnect children to nature and provide the basis would be much more consciously thought out. for a lifelong understanding of the environment. I’ve never been a shopping addict, but I have bought Read at bitly.ws/8yIB. significantly less ‘stuff’ during lockdown and made more of an effort to fix things. My children have been perfectly happy wearing a few favourite outfits and playing in the garden – they just don’t need wardrobes full of clothes or overflowing boxes full of toys. Every single item we purchase has a carbon footprint and a cost to the environment, from its manufacture to its transport, packaging and disposal. The same goes for food. Every year, UK households waste a shocking 4.5 million tonnes of food that could otherwise have been eaten, according to WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme), and the Turns household is no exception. But eating every single meal at home has highlighted the sheer scale of our domestic food waste and now we’re planning meals more carefully, freezing leftovers and getting creative with resources in the larder. We’ve also made a compost heap as a last resort for food scraps and the kids have developed a ceaseless fascination with the slow
Wild about learning
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THE NEW FACE OF FOOD SUPPLY
FEATURES
As coronavirus left traditional food supply chains overloaded, farmers, suppliers and communities helped deliver to the most vulnerable. By David Jesudason Young farmers in Cornwall have been delivering food.
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he coronavirus pandemic has changed every aspect of our lives. As well as causing many deaths and threatening everyone’s health, it has stopped us working, socialising and leaving our houses. Food supply has been one of the first areas to be affected. As home delivery firms and supermarkets struggle with the huge demand and stockpiling, farmers, suppliers and communities are stepping in to keep food supply open to the most vulnerable in society. “As a humanitarian, it’s important to know that we did the right thing,” says William Hill, who has launched FruPro, a non-profit platform set up last Friday (20 March), which aims to put companies like catering suppliers and wholesalers in touch with each other to meet supply needs and end waste. “We were due to launch FruPro later in the year, but coronavirus struck,” he says. “You can see something coming but you never know what to do until it gets here.” The platform was launched quickly as a simple online form to help desperate wholesalers that were stuck with stock, which would ordinarily have been supplied to bars and restaurants after they were ordered to close last week. There are also plans to link up with food banks and divert any surplus produce to those in need. “We are doing it for the good of everybody and making sure that food doesn’t go in the bin,” he adds. “On day one, [catering supplier] Reynolds used it to move 13 pallets of fruit. My overall goal is to enhance the human connection to fresh produce and to do
that we have to make sure the supply chain is as efficient as possible.” Based at London’s Western International wholesale market for fruit and veg, Hill’s family has been in the wholesale produce business for more than 126 years and has taken employees off his other (profit-making) firms to work on FruPro.
We are doing it for the good of everybody and making sure that food doesn’t go in the bin. As it only launched on Friday, it’s hard to speculate about the long-term, post-Covid 19 future for the platform, although there are evident benefits for closing the loop in terms of food waste. In the meantime, the platform is helping to keep food moving, something that is especially important considering the impact panic-buying is having on shops and food banks throughout the UK. In rural areas, it’s the small producers who have started to fill gaps left by overloaded home delivery firms, such as Suffolk family farmers Humdinger Produce and Scottish
plastic-free organic dairy Mossgiel Farm, which have both increased their deliveries to those that need it the most. In Cornwall, the Probus Young Farmers’ Club in Cornwall, which has members as young as 18 years old, is driving supplies to the doorsteps of those self-isolating in the surrounding community. “What we are doing is very important,” says Sam Oatey, president of the club. “There has to be people who help the elderly and vulnerable. As a Young Farmer organisation this does showcase what we’re all about. We’re here to help the community and take the pressure off people.” The motto of the club is ‘you don’t have to be a farmer’ – Oatey himself runs a film-making company but comes from a family of farmers, and all members have close links to rural communities. As a result, they are aware of an easily overlooked sideeffect of self-isolation in rural places: loneliness. “The older generation are obviously at risk,” says Oatey. “They could be at home for 24 hours a day – think how lonely and isolating that must be, and when you consider they could be alone for three or four months self-isolating: it’s crazy. “That’s why we’re offering to be on the end of the phone,” he adds. “To get people to contact us if they want to have a chat and speak to somebody. It’s getting more serious now and people are starting to realise the severity. It’s getting worse and there’s going to be more of a demand for us on the phone.”
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FEATURES
SPILT MILK: COVID-19 AND DAIRY Covid-19 sent milk prices tumbling and caused public shock at wasted milk, but the crisis in dairy is much more long-term. By Megan Tatum @1988_megan
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wo weeks ago, Robert Mallett dumped 17,000 litres of fresh milk onto the ground of his 300-acre Wiltshire farm and watched it drain away. His buyer Freshways, one of the UK’s largest dairy processors, was one of many that had temporarily halted collections as the UK lockdown obliterated sales from the foodservice sector (which makes up 40 per cent of its business). It was a move that affected dairy farmers the length and breadth of the country. Only a few miles from Mallett, at JoJo’s Dairy, Josette Feddes had been forced to do the same, dumping the bulk of the 6,000 litres produced each day by her 250-strong herd. It was an “utterly desperate” act, she said. The sight of fresh milk going to waste only weeks after supermarket shelves had sat bare struck a chord. When Mallett uploaded a video of his milk gushing along the ground online it was shared 750 times, attracting 300 comments full of outrage and empathy. But devastatingly wasteful as it might be, “two days’ worth of dumping milk won’t bankrupt me,” he says. “A year of milk prices being way below the cost of production could.” Organic dairy has been even worse hit. Since the two biggest buyers of organic milk – Pret a Manger and McDonald’s – closed
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Thousands of litres of milk have been poured away since the eating-out sector has been shut down.
their doors, many organic milk suppliers have also been forced to pour milk away or else sell it on the spot market far below the cost of production. In a sense, the pandemic has only exposed the deep cracks and shallow margins that have plagued British dairy for decades. According to Defra figures, the average price paid for liquid milk to farmers in 2015 was 24p per litre – the same price paid in 1995. That’s despite 20 years of inflation pushing up the costs of many goods and services by about 70 per cent in the same time period. On the one hand, the value placed on milk has suffered as a result of a fierce price war between UK supermarkets. In 2015, the average price of a four-pint carton famously dipped below bottled water, selling for just 89p in some cases. At the same time the supply chain has consolidated. Around 90 per cent of fresh milk is now processed and sold by just seven companies, according to Defra. That places significant power in fewer hands. The knock-on effect has been huge volatility in the prices paid to British dairy farmers. It’s thought about half have given up their business in the last 20 years as a result. Many have protested at the supermarkets they blame for driving down value: one memorable
FEATURES
The optimistic me thinks that this pandemic might lead to a greater understanding of the food supply chain. Or will it just go back to what it was before?
The dairy sector is largely controlled by supermarkets and milk processors. stunt in 2015 saw bemused cows released to wander up and down the aisles in Asda. “Coronavirus has exposed the fragility and inflexibility of our modern business model, right across the spectrum,” says David Finlay, owner of The Ethical Dairy, which produces cheeses and ice-creams from its farm in Scotland. There are “larger and larger farms with less and less share of their product value due to the increasing control of their input and output supply lines by fewer, larger corporates.” Mallett says that 1997 was the last time he can recall turning a profit at his farm in Highworth. With each cow costing around £5 per day to feed and shelter, he needs 25p per litre to stay afloat. The impact of Covid-19 pushing that price per litre down much further could well be the tipping point. It isn’t looking good. Two weeks since images of milk dumped on farms hit the headlines, milk is now being collected and
sold by processors, but prices have suffered. Freshways, Graham’s the Family Dairy, Dairy Partners, and Pensworth have all cut prices. Medina Dairy cited “significant and unprecedented commercial and financial pressures” as it cut 2p per litre of its May price to 23.75p per litre in early April. That’s because even where production can pivot from coffee shops and airlines, to supermarkets and corner shops, that doesn’t allow processors to pay the same prices as before, explains Richard Lane, of The Dairy Group. Previously they would have gleaned extra value from each litre of milk by removing the fat not wanted in retail and selling it to foodservice clients as cream, for example. Finlay says 80 per cent of projected cheese sales at The Ethical Dairy were heading for foodservice, while its ice-cream business, which worked primarily alongside tourist facilities, “is effectively closed and facing liquidation.” Following crisis talks between government and industry, environment secretary George Eustice this week announced support by way of temporarily relaxing competition laws. The move will allow greater collaboration and make identifying areas with spare capacity that much easier. But these are short-term measures. In the longer term, the sector needs the public shock at images of wasted milk to convert into a greater willingness to pay a little more for British produce. Doing so could not only lift the supply chain out of financial dire straits, it could help address criticism of dairy’s impact on the environment, believes Lane, with fewer food miles from imports. Resilience and sustainability can go hand in hand, believes Finlay. “Variety, self-sufficiency and waste reduction build resilience,” he says, which can leave producers better equipped to face the sudden impact of a pandemic. “In an increasingly disrupted world, large, complex businesses dependent on long chains of supply and delivery are way too fragile, which threatens our security in every sector,” he says. Lane is hopeful: “The optimistic me thinks that this pandemic might lead to a greater understanding of the food supply chain, or a greater value placed on it. That might mean people are more prepared to pay a little bit more for a sustainable, domestic market. “Or when this all blows over, will they just go back to how it was before?” Leaving dairy right where it started.
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
illustration or photo (needs to be hi-res!)
FLYING HIGH Mya-Rose Craig, also known as Birdgirl, recently became the youngest person to be awarded an honorary degree for her work in conservation and campaigning to help minority communities access nature. She tells Nina Pullman what coronavirus teaches us about what’s possible, why the environment is a race issue and what it was like to meet Greta Thunberg. 14
THE BIG INTERVIEW
Congratulations on your honorary degree, Mya, how did that feel? And what are you up to now school and exams are cancelled?
Other than equality, what other benefits are there to diversity in sustainability and conservation?
Mya-Rose Craig (MRC): I thought it would have settled in by now but it still doesn’t feel very real! I was going to take a gap year anyway so I’m not too bothered about the exams being cancelled. I got a couple of uni offers and if I get the grades, I want to go to Warwick to study politics and international relations.
MRC: I think access to nature is really important for the sake of it, and for the people who are gaining this access in terms of their mental and physical health, and quality of life, but I also think it’s really important in terms of the environmental movement. People aren’t going to start fighting for something that they’ve never experienced and learnt to love. Also I think it’s really important that movements that are fighting for change and for a better future, are hearing the voices of everyone. And for that to happen, we need a broad range of people involved in the environmental movement in the first place.
What got you in to conservation and environmental issues? MRC: I’ve been into birding since I was a baby. My parents have always taken me out and they’ve always been very good at talking to me about problems going on in the world, so I’ve been very aware of it for ages.
Tell us in a nutshell how you started out. MRC: Birdgirl was originally this blog I set up when I was 12, just because that was the thing that all the young birders did, back in like 2013 or 2014. It started off with me talking about the birding I was doing at the weekend, and it got a lot more popular than I expected when I started talking about topical issues. Since 2015 I’ve been running nature camps every summer called Black2Nature, all about giving BAME and minority ethnic people, and teenagers, the chance to go out into the countryside for quite often the first time.
Do you think coronavirus has any lessons for us for conservation or sustainability? MRC: I think a lot of things are being proven within this whole coronavirus period, A lot of things that we were told weren’t possible, it turns out they are possible. Stuff like the commute that people were told they had to do – it turns out their job can be done from home. I’m hoping that it will make people think a lot more about how much they travel, the way they consume food and the value of green spaces.
When did you become aware of the inequality in environmentalism? MRC: I became aware of it because I myself am not white, so it was this growing awareness of the lack of other people who looked like me out in nature. I think in the UK, the links between class, race and the environment are really interesting in the access to the countryside. It’s always been that if you’re wealthy, you can afford to go away for the weekend and spend a very pleasant time away from all the smog, or whatever. I think there’s still this legacy of nature being a privilege that only some people can access, and a lot of the work I do is fighting really hard to make sure that doesn’t continue.
(Opposite) Youth power: Mya-Rose Craig received an honorary degree from Bristol University.
I’m hoping that coronavirus will make people think a lot more about how much they travel and the way they consume food. 15
THE BIG INTERVIEW
People aren’t going to start fighting for something that they’ve never experienced and learnt to love. Are you doing any birding at home in isolation? Do you have any tips for how people can enjoy what’s out there in their own garden? MRC: I’ve definitely been able to keep more of an eye on the garden and it’s been really nice to watch things coming and going. We stocked up on lots of bird food before lockdown. The birds appreciate it even if you just stick a feeder out of your flat window or put out some flower boxes. Animals will come, whether it’s a bird or a butterfly.
What was it like to meet Greta at the march? MRC: She was really nice – she was really sweet actually. She was really quiet and a bit shy. I had a chat with her. It was a shame, though, as she had to race off at the end because of all the journalists and stuff. I was on the banner at the front of the march and when we first went out it was really scary actually, there was a swarm of them all piling up to try and get a picture and refusing to move, so we couldn’t get through.
What one thing could the government do to help facilitate access to the countryside for BAME communities?
Black2Nature has helped hundreds of BAME young people to visit the countryside.
You were one of those who addressed thousands at the Bristol Climate Strike recently. How did that feel? MRC: It was really amazing. I’d never felt such energy in my life. I didn’t think that many people would come because the weather was so vile, but there were just so many young people who were so excited to be there it was amazing.
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MRC: One thing would be the price of public transport, because I think it’s really outrageous that a lot of people literally can’t afford to move around. It costs around £9 for me to get to town on the bus, which is ridiculous. I was really shocked when my parents told me the bus used to be free in some places. Any movement away from that is essentially detrimental to poor people, and I think that paying as much as we do to get around, get to work, and get to the countryside, is just ridiculous. It’s something really simple that could change a lot of people’s lives.
Who do you admire in terms of world leaders or in the world of conservation? MRC: Two girls my age, who I think are amazing. Autumn Peltier, who is indigenous and does a lot of work around rights to water – she’s just fantastic, she’s spoken at the UN and she’s just so strong. And there’s this other girl called Helen Gualinga, who’s awesome, and does similar stuff.
THE BIG INTERVIEW
Access to nature is usually reserved for those who can afford to travel there, believes Craig.
You are part of the Extinction Rebellion group, which has faced some criticism around diversity. What are your thoughts on that? MRC: I think in terms of internationalism and diversity, XR has really solid foundations. But the kind of people it has attracted, which is mainly very middle class, very white, because that’s what the environmental movement has always been, has meant that has become distorted a bit. It’s just this whole thing of not having everybody’s voice in the mix. Personally, I think the existence of XR has been really important in terms of normalising and deradicalising the mainstream environmental movement. Things that maybe three years ago were seen as really extreme, they’re not anymore, because you’ve got this group doing massive die-ins in the street and demanding that we’re carbon neutral by 2025. I think they’ve been very important in shifting people’s perception.
With such a passionate drive for change, would you like to go into politics in the future? MRC: In some ways, staying in a lobbying or activism space is a lot more appealing, while being a politician so doesn’t appeal. But I guess someone’s got to do it!
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SPECIAL REPORT
A GM FUTURE? From GM to gene editing: Boris Johnson’s favourable stance towards GM could reopen the debate as Brexit prompts changes in UK’s food and farming system. Nick Easen reports
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ith Brexit and the great unshackling from EU regulations that’s to come, this could be a pivotal year for genetically-modified (GM) food. “Let’s start now to liberate the UK’s extraordinary bioscience sector from anti-genetic modification rules,” was one of the first things Boris Johnson said on the steps of Downing Street when he became Prime Minister, prompting the debate around GM to resurface. It comes as Britain departs from an EU that has largely curtailed GM crops to date, and starts to look towards a US trade deal, which could see rules relaxed on genetically modified foods, seeds and farming. “The British government has given several indications
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that it intends to adjust the regulatory framework so that innovative biotechnologies including GM and gene editing will not be blocked from deployment,” explains Professor Jonathan Jones from the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, who’s worked on GM for 37 years, particularly on potatoes that are resistant to blight. GM crops remain controversial throughout Europe, with little planted in the field, while in the UK, they are banned from being grown commercially altogether. Across the world, meanwhile, they are grown on 190 million-plus hectares of land – an area the size of Indonesia – across 26 countries but primarily in the US, Brazil, Argentina, Canada and India.
SPECIAL REPORT
Corn, soybean, cotton and oilseed rape make up the vast majority of GM crops, which have had their genetic code modified by scientists using DNA from other species, while trials are taking place on other crops like tomatoes and potatoes. Insect resistance and herbicide tolerance are popular ‘improvements’, while nutrient volumes are being worked on as possibilities for the future. Most GM crops are developed and sold by a handful of global agri-biotech firms, which also dominate non-GM markets, including Corteva, BayerMonsanto and Syngenta, and this narrow pool of ownership is one of the biggest concerns for some. “We should start with some fundamental questions about GM crops. What problems are we trying to solve? Who does the technology empower, who does it disempower and who owns it? How does it promote resilience and fairness, if at all? Only by addressing these questions can we have a meaningful debate and avoid slipping back into a binary ‘for or against’ discussion,” explains Dan Crossley, executive director at the Food Ethics Council.
The rise of gene editing It’s this ‘for or against’ discussion, plus powerful public opposition, which has largely stymied further development of GM foods, particularly in Europe. But in recent years, a new process
known as gene editing has come to the fore that could be about to change the debate. It’s described as one of the biggest technical breakthroughs in this field and involves altering existing genes, rather than adding foreign DNA to a plant. As such, scientists had hoped it would avoid the regulatory scrutiny that GM crops experienced, arguing that the process is closer to non-genetic methods agronomists have used to create new varieties for centuries. However, France’s top administrative court ruled in January that gene editing should be subject to GMO regulations, following a similar ban by the EU two years ago. In the eyes of European law, it looks like GM and gene-edited crops are on the same legal footing.
Attitudes among public and farmers are polls apart
Across the world, GM crops are grown on 190-million plus hectares - an area the size of Indonesia. (Opposite) A trial at Norwich Plant Sciences is adding genes with high anti-oxidants into tomatoes.
Aside from the Prime Minister’s warm words, have attitudes changed towards ‘modified’ foods? More than three quarters of UK farmers say they’ll adopt GM crops if regulations changed, according to a poll by the industry magazine Farmers Guardian. But this is at stark odds with public opinion. A Countryfile Live poll found that shoppers are still largely resistant to knowingly purchasing GM foods. “Consumer acceptance remains a key issue. Understanding of GM technology is poor. I’m not sure that
Choose food as it should be.
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SPECIAL REPORT
much has shifted in people’s perception and how this could be changed. Probably not by politicians saying the techniques are okay,” says Dr Dylan Bradley, director of agribusiness consultancy firm, Agra CEAS Consulting. Advocates of GM and gene editing talk of replacing chemical control with genetics, which means potentially less insecticides, lower herbicide use and, in the case of blight resistant potatoes, potentially less food waste. But if the UK did start planting GM crops, those farmers wouldn’t be able to export their food to Europe. “No farmer will plant a crop that nobody wants to buy,” explains Professor Jones. There could also be an issue with crosscontamination with non-GM and organic crops. This has occurred in France and Germany after traces of GMOs banned for cultivation were found in seeds, while in Spain, organic growers have also been affected by the use of GM corn. For some, the issue of food sustainability is just too multifaceted to be solved by one technology. “Farming systems are complex, and problems should be solved by adjusting the system, not by making adjustments at a genetic level,” says Dr Julia Wright, associate professor at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University. “I have not come across any research evaluating the effectiveness of GM crops that includes a comparison with an agro-ecological alternative. Trials only comprise the GM crop versus non-GM crop, whatever the problem may be,” she says.
crops to pigs, cattle, poultry or fish, and meat and dairy products fed on GM animal feed aren’t labelled as such in British supermarkets. “Shoppers aren’t always aware of what’s in their food. The only way to avoid GM is to buy organic,” explains Steven Jacobs, business development manager at organic certification scheme, Organic Farmers and Growers. “People need to trust their food supplies are genuine.” Despite the complexity and lack of transparency in labelling, and as Brexit shapes the food system of tomorrow, it’s clear that GM or gene editing could one day play a much bigger role.
Gene editing, using a tool known as ‘Crispr’, edits existing genes rather than inserting new ones.
A GM crossroads? While GM food has already rejoined the debate as the national conversation grows around the future of British food and farming, it’s unclear whether polarised scientific opinions will ever meet in the middle. “By using GM crops we’re tying farmers into dependence on purchased seed and further inputs, whereas we know from a perspective of resilience that farmers need to be growing a diverse range of varieties and saving their own seed where possible to achieve local adaptation to climate change,” says Dr Wright. For others, the potential for GM and gene editing to reduce the use of agrochemicals remains a powerful benefit. “It would primarily replace chemical control, with genetic control. A huge benefit of using genetics instead of chemistry is that it only targets insects or microbes that grow on the crop,” explains Professor Jones, adding that, as an example, blight in potatoes causes huge crop losses every year and requires frequent agrochemical application. “The approach we are taking should provide such solutions for many important crop diseases,” he says. Meanwhile, in the UK, it’s not illegal to feed GM
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GM foods: On trial in the UK Blight-resistant Maris Piper potatoes (made by inserting genes from wild potato varieties) – Sainsbury Laboratory Purple-flesh tomatoes (inserting genes with high anti-oxidants and anthocyanins normally found in blueberries and blackberries) – Norwich Plant Sciences/ John Innes Centre Omega 3-rich Camelina (plants that produce fish oil and could help replace fish farming) – Rothamsted Research Gene-edited brassica (improving micronutrient density – John Innes Centre Iron-rich wheat (to enhance iron density in wheat and tackle public health iron deficiency) - John Innes Centre
WICKED LEEKS LIFESTYLE From seasonal veg inspiration to ethical living: Wicked Leeks lifestyle is packed full of new ways to enjoy plant-based eating, tips for sharing food with friends, nurturing your own veggie patch, and celebrating the best of the seasons.
MOST READ ONLINE How to forage like a chef From vegan ‘honey’ made from dandelions to nettle pesto – with a little curiosity and a few simple recipes, you can transform even the most everyday plants and turn daily walks into foraging adventures. Soak dandelion petals in water for 10 minutes for bugs to leave. Strain then simmer for half an hour with lemon and just enough water to cover the dandelion. Steep for 6 hours and strain through muslin then cook gently for up to a few hours slowly adding the sugar, checking the consistency on a cold spoon. Read the full article at bitly.ws/8z6f.
How to freeze veg Blanch, boil, steam, braise or roast your greens in pieces until just done, or in a form that you would like to use them (dices, slices, mash or a sauce, for example). Cool them completely before freezing, or you’ll compromise the temperature of your freezer, create condensation and cause it to ice up faster. If cooking separately (beans, broccoli florets etc), it’s good practice to freeze them spread out on a flat tray before boxing of bagging them. For more tips go to bitly.ws/8wIg.
VEG HACKS From getting to grips with fennel, to making kale stalk pesto, Riverford’s brand new Veg Hacks will bring moments of enlightenment to your weekly menus in only a few short minutes. Breakdown a cauliflower by thinly slicing the leaves to use in stir fries or soups, bake the head whole as an impressive centrepiece, or slice into thick wedges perfect for roasting. Watch the full series on Riverford’s YouTube channel or catch up on wickedleeks.com/veghacks.
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LIFESTYLE
Try it with celeriac Celeriac is one of those vegetables that’s a bit knobbly and funny looking, so may end up languishing at the bottom of the box. Don’t neglect it – turn it in to celeriac crisps. Sprinkled with flaked sea salt and black pepper or smoked paprika they are very moreish. The same method will also work with parsnips and sweet potato. To make: Deep-fry celeriac shavings (made using a vegetable peeler) in sunflower oil, then drain well and sprinkle with salt for an alternative crisp.
HOW TO MAKE VEG CRISPS Netflix and kale, anyone? If the crisp crisis in your lockdown household is causing problems, you could be overlooking a surprising source of immensely tasty, packaging-free TV snacks.
Baked beetroot or potato crisps
Crisp it up with kale Oven-baked kale chips are crisp and salty but have hidden goodness – they are chockful of vitamin A, C and calcium. You can also choose your favourite flavourings as this recipe is very adaptable: toss with paprika, cayenne pepper, lemon zest, parmesan or red wine vinegar before baking. To make: Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper on a non-stick baking tray. Toss the kale leaves in just a little oil, barely enough to coat. Lay the leaves on the tray in a single layer and gently press them as flat as you can on the baking tray, so they crisp up. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 6-10 minutes, until they are crispy and just starting to turn brown at the edges. Best eaten straightaway!
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A great zero waste snack can be made from the peel of any wellscrubbed potatoes. It couldn’t be easier – shake the peel in a bowl with a glug of olive oil, season and roast on a tray for 20 mins at 200 degrees, turning occasionally to check they go golden but don’t burn. It works really well with sweet potato and beetroot, too, or a mix of all three. To make: Preheat oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Put the beetroot in a bowl and add the oil. Mix thoroughly to coat all the slices. Line two oven trays with nonstick baking parchment (or use nonstick trays) and spread the beetroot slices over them in a single layer. Bake for 1 hour, checking after 30 minutes - if your oven cooks unevenly you may need to rearrange the slices and swap the position of the trays. Continue cooking until slices are dry and crisp. This may take well over an hour (depending on the thickness of your slices). Sprinkle with sea salt.
LIFESTYLE
THE JOY OF SPRING Whether a sunny afternoon meal, or a lantern-lit evening feast, eating outdoors is a wonderful way to celebrate the best spring and summer veg.
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ooking on an open fire can provide the heart of some great family activities, from making and tending the fire, to younger ones helping make veggie kebabs or decorating the yard for your celebration. Veg cooked on an open fire has an incredible depth of flavour and is a smoky, crunchy delight for the senses. Who knew eating BBQ broad beans and peas in their pods could be one of the most satisfying things to cook over coals? Asparagus Trim away any tough, woody ends. Rub the spears with a little oil and season generously with salt and pepper. When your BBQ has settled to hot glowing embers, place the spears on the griddle bars in a regimented row. Cook for 4-6 mins, rolling occasionally for an even cook, until nicely marked and cooked through. Finish with a small squeeze of lemon juice and serve immediately. Some easy-to-make cumin flatbreads are a great side, as are homemade dips such as beetroot, carrot hummus, salsa rossa or cooling tzatziki. Add in olives, plus a simple green salad and potatoes cooked your favourite way to make a real feast.
Broad beans Make sure your BBQ is on a medium/high heat – no flames or fireworks, just steady glowing embers. Rub the pods lightly with oil and throw them straight onto the bars. Cook for 2-3 mins, until marked and starting to blister. Flip them over and cook for a further 2-3 mins. Transfer to a bowl and toss with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Serve in an unruly pile with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing. When cool enough to handle, slip the beans from their pods and scoff them. An ideal snack with a cold beer. Strawberries Keep the small ones whole, cut any large ones in half. Add them to a bowl with a little sugar and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Mix well and leave to macerate for 10 mins. Thread the strawberries onto skewers and place them directly on the BBQ bars. Griddle for about 2 mins, turning once, until lightly marked. They only want a quick flip-flop across the grill, enough to warm them and caramelize some of the sugar.
For more tips on how to BBQ spring and summer veg from Riverford chef Bob Andrew, visit: wickedleeks.com/lifestyle.
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LIFESTYLE
Learning to love weeds Turning nettle stems into plant ties or basking in the brilliant blue of a forget-me-not – here’s how you can manage and learn to love your garden weeds. Sarah Brown, Wicked Leeks gardening columnist
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very gardener is taught that weeds are bad. They compete for the soil’s nutrition and moisture. But I find it hard to hate the golden dandelion – so important for nectarcollecting bees. Or to chop a daisy, star-bright on the lawn. I even allow some bindweed to climb up a post because I love its white trumpet flowers, virgin pure but heralding sheer bloody-minded resilience. And if you think I’m a soft-hearted romantic organic grower, with garden unkempt and a riot of choking foliage, then let me explain. Weeds aren’t all bad. Some are beautiful, some provide nutrition for the soil, and many are helpful to beneficial insects. Along with your chosen plants, they contribute to that all important biodiversity that any growing area needs. Let’s look at the good ones. Weeds are sometimes the first flowers to appear. So hungry bees and other insects emerging in early spring will access their nectar. Daisies, dandelions and white-nettle are all in full bloom in April. With cow parsley – loved by aphid-eating hoverflies – hot on
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their heels. Stinging nettles are a remarkable plant. The stems and leaves make an excellent mineral-rich liquid feed after soaking in a bucket of water. Older stems are as strong as string, and can be used as a plant tie (use gloves to cut stems, plunge into boiling water for a few minutes, weave a couple into a rope and then dry. You’ll not be able to break it no matter how hard you pull). Nettle flowers are loved by butterflies such as Red Admirals, Small Tortoiseshell and the Comma. And the seeds are used in herbal medicine to alleviate fatigue. Edible weeds include ground elder (its young leaves are like spinach, and equally full of goodness); fat hen is full of vitamin C; and a bramble will treat you to autumn blackberries. Some weeds are drop dead gorgeous. Leave single plants of rosebay willow herb (clear all the others) to appreciate its remarkable architectural splendour and rich reddish/pink flowers. Or keep a scatter of brightly coloured poppies to liven your veg patch. A small clump of self-seeded chamomile between your patio stones will
fill the air with fragrance as you tread over them to sip an evening gin and tonic. Are brilliant blue forget-me-nots weeds? Or the darker azure knapweed? The scarlet pimpernel and the lime green spurge? I never invited them into my garden, but they enhance every bed they pop up in. Weeds don’t need feeding or pruning: the only maintenance is keeping on top of them, so that those you don’t want turn to seed, and those that you do can shine.
For advice on how to manage your weeds the organic way, go to gardenorganic.org.uk/weed-management. The Grow Your Own Wicked Leeks series is written by Garden Organic, the national charity for organic growing. Each month we bring you timely advice on what to do in your organic patch, whether you’re an experienced grower or just starting out. Share your own tips and gardening photos on social media under #GYOWickedLeeks.
Dandelions: to love or not to love? Image JLedermann.
LIFESTYLE
Store cupboard tips and tricks Make your own Nutella, wow your family with an Italian breadcrumb flourish or transform store cupboard staples into delectable desserts - lockdown is the perfect opportunity to get inventive with your store cupboard staples. Lewis Glanvill, Head chef at The Riverford Field Kitchen @lewisglanvill
oils. Once out, leave to cool slightly, but while still warm add to your blender with the olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Homemade pangrattato Add a little flourish to your lockdown menus with homemade pangrattato (the Italian for ‘breadcrumb’), to use up stale bread or make a dairy-free replacement to parmesan to top pasta dishes.
- Blend the seeds continuously: they will chop, then clump, then form a paste -The mixture will loosen again with the oil released, so be patient. You should come out with a completely smooth butter.
To make: - Blitz stale bread in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs.Heat olive oil and a grated garlic clove in a pan on a medium heat. There should be enough oil to coat the crumbs then fry until golden and crispy.
- You could use it on toast, through a cheesecake, on yogurt or eaten straight from the jar.
Coconut rice pudding
- Once they are all evenly golden brown, remove from heat. Strain excess oil through a sieve and leave on a sheet of paper towel to drain. Place fried breadcrumbs into a bowl and season with salt.
Using only four ingredients you could create one of our regular dessert offerings at the Field Kitchen’s legendary pudding counter. Ingredients:
- Add any hard herbs, like dried oregano, rosemary or thyme. Once your pangrattato is cool, place in a jar and seal. Sprinkle over roasted veg or pasta dishes.
1 litre coconut milk, 350ml plant milk (we use almond), 200g sugar, 270g Arborio rice To make: - Place all the ingredients into a pan and put on a medium to low heat on the hob, making sure to keep checking and stirring
Nut or seed butter Ever fancied making your own peanut butter? This recipe can be used to make any nut butter from peanut to pumpkin seed. Try playing with flavour combinations, like hazelnut with the addition of cocoa to make your own Nutella.
- After about 30 mins, the rice should have absorbed all the coconut milk, leaving you with a thick glossy rice pudding. - Spoon into bowls and top with ingredients like toasted almonds, toasted coconut, caramelised pineapple, mango and lime, orange and cardamom, rum and raisins, or eat as it comes.
Ingredients: 200g seeds\nuts, 50ml olive oil, Pinch of salt, Seed butter To make: - Roast 200g pumpkin seeds on a baking tray at 180 degrees for 8-10 minutes. This will begin to release their natural
Top to bottom: Homemade pangrattato, nut butter, coconut rice pudding.
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