Buy British ?

It's not exactly rocket science is it......... 

How do you read your newspaper ? Being male, there seems to be something in my sub-conscious that means I have to start at the sports section and then flip to the front after the racing pages. So there I am on the train on the way into work, having already gorged on Chelsea's 4 - 0 hammering of Portsmouth in the Carling Cup, when page 19 of the Metro dramatically states "To beef or not to beef ?"

Here the paper is seeking to compare the virtues of being a "veggie" (their words, not mine) to that of a carnivore in the great Eco debate. The question being put is whether, instead of tucking into that juicy rump steak,it would be better to become a devout veggie for the sake of global warming ? It appears that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is recommending that we should actually reduce our meat consumption by 50%. Simple answer to that one - forget it !!

However, on reading more of the article, it makes a very strong case for eating British beef. And not just beef, but other high quality British produce. It appears that the IPCC report is calling for action in Brazil, rather than here. Looking at the facts, it is clear why the British public should concentrate on buying and eating British:

• 89% of grassland in the UK is extensive, not intensive;
• extensively managed grasslands promote "happier cows";
• 8% of Britain's greenhouse gas emissions stem from meat and dairy; the figure globally is 18%

As John Torode says in the article: "There's a bigger issue here: where meat comes from. If we all bought British, we'd save a huge amount of carbon emissions."

So, it's not actually a question of turning into a "veggie" if all your life you have eaten British beef. It's a fact that buying British aids the rural economy, helps the sustainable nature of livestock production in the country and is environmentally friendly too.

You don't have to be an economist to work that one out, do you ?

Dr Charles Trotman – Head of Rural Business Development

An economist, advises on rural economic issues, particularly food policy, rural tourism, equine issues and telecommunications policy.

Phone: 020 7460 7939
FAX: 020 7235 4696
Email charles.trotman@cla.org.uk