insideKENT Magazine Issue 52 - July 2016 | Page 62

FOOD+DRINK
change your habits, change the world cont.

Fortunately, organisations like Greenpeace are
fighting the food slavery fight and helping improve
conditions for poorly treated food industry workers
through engagement with governments all over
the world, and there’s nothing stopping any of
us lending our support too. Knowledge is power
where this is concerned and there is a wealth of
information out there, so arm yourself with it and
choose to buy food from ethically sound sources
with a trusted environmental and social track
record.
Value your food, not your savings
This is a tough one for most of us, especially in
light of the government’s constant calls for
austerity that ring in our ears (whether we like it
or not), but Gillian McKeith called it back in the
90s and she was right: we really are what we
eat, and in the main, better food costs more
money.
We’re not suggesting you splurge and be frivolous;
buying big name brands or suddenly developing

a penchant for white truffles – but while buying
whole, local food will likely dent your wallet a little
more, the health benefits you’ll receive from it will
far outweigh how much you paid for it and you’ll
be supporting local, hardworking farmers in the
process. Anyone with a conscience who’s
watched Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall gallantly
giving intensively farmed chickens a voice, or
Jamie Oliver fighting against appalling school
dinners can’t deny that they’ve both got a point.
Simple steps like buying free-range eggs and
chicken will take a while to get used to financially,
but will help to put a stop to the ceaseless
production of low-quality, nutrient-poor food and
will also encourage your children to make better
food choices along the line – an organic banana,
or a turkey twizzler? I know which I’d rather see
my kids eating.
You can also think about upping your shopping
budget as donating money, albeit not in the
traditional sense. Paying more for fresh, local fruit
and vegetables ensures the growers who’ve got
them to market in the first place can continue

62

tending their crops; pay a premium for fair-trade
certification on things like sugar and tea and
you’re guaranteed that the harvesters who
gathered it are being paid a fair wage in return;
and when it comes to animal products, a higher
price tag is an indication that they’ve been raised
humanely.
Bully for us Brits, the signs are all there that as
a nation, we are becoming more prudent about
what we put on our plates; our consumption of
fruit has increased by 50 percent since 1974 and
the internet can bring high-quality, nutrient-rich
food to our doors at the click of a button. Likewise,
eating locally is becoming easier with food festivals
and farmers’ markets popping up all over the
place. When it comes to our eating habits, we
have a lot more power to make positive global
changes than it may seem – think before you eat
and you’re helping not only yourself, but the rest
of the world too.