Edible Six-Pack Rings.

This is going to be a short post. Sometimes I stumble across some news which make me smile. Good news that are uplifting and this is one of them. Saltwater Brewery in Florida created new edible six-pack rings. This is great news because the common plastic that is used can choke marine life and birds when it ends up in the ocean. But in this particular case the people from the brewery have come up with an ingenious solution. Their edible rings are made of the leftovers from the brewing process, namely wheat and barley and are therefore 100% biodegradable and also serve as food for the animals. I know that this is a small step in the right direction by a small brewery. But I find such stories hugely inspiring and I do hope that it catches on to increase its impact. 

The good consumer

Whether or not we care about the ethical questions and environmental impacts of our consumption is something everybody has to decide for themselves. For some people it is not an issue at all and they flock in hordes to Primark, a high street retailer, known for the awful work conditions for their labourers in far-flung countries. Others shudder at the thought of walking into a high-street store and count on ethical and/or organic clothing stores such as the Braintree Hemp Store in Camden Lock (http://www.camdenlockmarket.com) or trendy shops like the Brokedown Palace in London (http://www.thebrokedownpalace.com). I want to focus on the environmental aspects that one who cares about a green lifestyle, should consider. Is it really that difficult to source environmentally friendly everyday items and are they really always completely overpriced? How can we make sure that our consumption pattern is not the cause of endless amounts of waste, but more a part, a link in a healthy and sustainable life cycle?

Nouveaus, Winter 2015 Issue. Source: blog.gls.de

Cradle-to-Cradle

I have to be honest, the idea for this post came while I was browsing through the German magazine nouveaux (http://www.noveaux-mag.com/), a great magazine that deals with vegan fashion and a green lifestyle, full of useful information and interesting articles. In their Winter 2015 issue they have an article on exactly this topic: how to create a system in which the cradle-to-cradle idea is implemented and enables consumption without wasting resources. In an ideal scenario, throwing away a garment or any other item, would not mean the end of a life cycle but it would be its beginning. That is exactly what the cradle-to-cradle idea stands for - a holistic framework that allows waste free consumption. In order to generate waste free products, the material used needs to be organic and compostable, exemplified by the Change-Collection launched by the fashion retailer Trigema in Germany (http://www.trigema.de/en/cms/Trigema-Change/). The collection includes t-shirts for women, men and children, made of 100% bio-cotton which are fully compostable. Another example is the trendy Swiss brand FREITAG who made a big impact on the fashion scene with their colourful and robust bags made of old truck tarps, bicycle inner tubes and discarded seatbelts. They have now developed their own material in order to meet their aim to produce items that are fully biodegradable and came up with the F-ABRIC (http://www.freitag.ch/fabric). A tough, sustainable and fully compostable material. 

F-ABRIC trousers by FREITAG. Source: 

http://consciouslysartorial.blogspot.com

It would be an exaggeration to say that this is the new trend, however today's shoppers can be described as more conscious in terms of ethical sourcing and environmental issues, something, that the market picks up on. Unfortunately we are looking at rather hefty price tags compared to your high street retailers, with the Change-Collection's 100% bio cotton shirt by Trigema selling at 38 Euros (£28) and the F-ABRIC pants costing a whopping CHF 280 (£163) with a T-Shirt made from the same compostable material going for CHF 80 (£54.30). It is understandable that not everyone can afford to be "that" ethical and environmentally friendly when it comes to garments. And becoming part of the cradle-to-cradle approach might be something reserved for people who have enough cash left over at end of the month and are okay with splashing out £163 on pants. 

For everybody else who cares about these issues but does not have the necessary funds to leave a small footprint as possible on the environment, there is always the possibility to dedicate themselves to eco-efficiency and try to consume less and more sensible, and do check out the possibility to bring back your unwanted clothes to H&M where they are happy to take anything, even if it is not from their shop. You even get a £5 voucher for doing so! Or drop them off at a Oxfam shop and they will give you a £5 for M&S. Flea markets and second hand shops are real treasure troves too. 

There are also websites dedicated to ethical shops such as  the good trade (http://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing) where you find affordable, trendy and sustainable shops such as Kuyichi (https://www.kuyichi.com) who allow you to see where the product was made, and by whom. 

Buckley T-shirt made of organic cotton at Kuyichi. Price: 24.95 Euros (£18.37).
Source: https://www.kuyichi.com/

Whatever your situation is, there is always a possibility to make your own small contribution and lessen the impact our consumption pattern has on the environment, and ensure fair and secure working conditions for the people who produce the clothes. Walking into the next high street store might be the easier solution and also less harsh on your wallet, but doing a little bit of research will allow you to do something good without it costing the world. 

Free range, Organic, Free run....?

Source: wikimedia.org, getting ready for Christmas, by Kenneth Allen.

According to britishturkey.co.uk people in Britain consumed approximately 10 million turkeys last year. And with Christmas upon us again and our American friends celebrating Thanksgiving today, it is the perfect occasion to talk about the debate whether or not organic, free range turkeys are actually worth the extra money. 

What does free range or organic mean?

Families all across the UK are prepared to dig a bit deeper into their pockets to buy a free range turkey. A turkey that has lived its life to the fullest, happily waddling around the farm, enjoying the fresh air and the warm sun, until its untimely demise. We have all seen the horrifying images of the battery farms, where thousands of poor animals are crammed into cages, not able to move, with their beaks trimmed. No, we do not want to be part of this. So we go for the more 'animal friendly' solution (as animal friendly as eating 10 million turkeys can be). But what are we actually buying when we decide to put an organic or a free range turkey in our basket?  

The Soil Association sets out the ideal conditions as follows: 

"Organic chickens and turkeys are able to behave naturally - grazing, pecking the ground, scratching and dust-bathing. Organic poultry must have continuous and easy daytime access to pasture or range covered with suitable vegetation, except in adverse weather conditions. Organic poultry cannot be permanently housed, though shelter and protection from predators must be provided at all times." (http://www.soilassociation.org/). 

It is important to note that organic and free range do not mean the same thing. A point that is often neglected. While organic describes the standards that need to be adhered to when raising the animals (which also includes a certain amount of outdoor access), standards which are set out by institutes and government agencies and that emphasize the non-use of any chemical food additives, free range is exclusively concerned wit the animals' access to the outdoors. 

Some people might have heard the expression 'free run' chicken or turkey. A free run chicken raising method means that the chickens are not confined to small cages, but can roam freely. However they are in a large enclosed structure like a barn. 

Source: http://hovenfarms.com/ - MPR photo/ Mark Steil

Source: http://hovenfarms.com/ - MPR photo/ Mark Steil

The labels free range, organic, free run are nowadays so closely administered and scrutinized that it becomes difficult to slip through the audit mechanisms that are administered before you get to use the labels. However, there will always be one or two that break the ranks and operate at the fringe of what is allowed to be called free range. 

Effects on the environment

But does the environment benefit from free range farming? Well there is no direct correlation between the impact on the environment if the turkeys are not caged anymore but walk around outside, apart from maybe the fact that a larger space is needed. The real link that can be made is the one when we talk about whether or not the animals are raised organically. Feeding chickens antibiotics and soy based food supplements instead of allowing them an organic diet can have disastrous effects on the environment. 

"More than 10,000 tons of antibiotics are consumed in Europe each year, and 30-60% pass through animals and humans completely unchanged. The different substances then reach the ocean via hospitals, municipal sewage, fish farms and run-off from agriculture and landfills." (Science Daily)

Our bodies become resistance to it and the same process can be observed in various ecosystems. Having antibiotics in the groundwater or seeping into seawater will lead to a spread of resistance to antibiotics in marine bacteria. If antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria develop, it could disturb natural bacterial ecosystems, which in turn could have serious impacts on human health. 

Another point of concern is the use of soy supplements in the diet of chickens and turkeys. Regions of fragile ecosystems in South America are being used for soy plantations and it severely impacts the rainforests and furthermore, devastates the livelihoods of local farmers who are forced to relocate. Due to the move to large monocultures, soy bean agriculture threaten the biodiversity of the region and the deforestation of the rainforest exacerbates the threat of climate change. And last but not least, the soy agricultures rely heavily on agrochemicals which raises further social and environmental issues. According to The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics 35% of all pesticides used in Brazil are for soy farming.

Pic by Neil Palmer (CIAT). Soy bean at Carimagua, in Colombia's eastern plains, or Llanos

What to do?

If your are mainly concerned whether your Christmas turkey had a happy and carefree live, you will be content with a free range chicken. However, if you are worried about your environment and the effects your turkey consumption might have, I suggest you find a local turkey farmer by using websites such as www.nfuonline.com and do your research on what the animals are being fed and how they are kept. And if you truly truly are concerned about the environment, why not go for a veggie Christmas dinner this year? 

Bon appetit. 

The cost of eco-friendliness.

The general public has become increasingly aware about environmental degradation, climate change and the effects it has on this planet and coincidentally, or not, an environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle seems to go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle. So by eating healthily and by employing the rationale that everything that mother Earth produces is best consumed in its rawest form, with as little processing as possible, the planet is suffering less from our food consumption. However, even though it is well known that eating more veggies and less meat (especially less processed meat since it is apparently as bad as, and now hold your breath, SMOKING, as we recently learnt), there is a general notion that this form of healthy and sustainable lifestyle comes at a cost. A cost that most people are just not willing to pay. I want to look at what the real costs of a healthy and green lifestyle are and whether it is still reserved for the upper class and hipsters working in art and media.

Whole Foods

The pinnacle of organic and healthy lifestyle is probably the green supermarket chain Whole Foods. However, it became the victim of ridicule a couple of months ago, after it tried to sell asparagus in water. Yes, you read that right. They put asparagus in bottled water and if that is not bizarre enough, they charged a whopping $6 for each bottle. 

If you want a chuckle, watch John Oliver's take on it:

As mind boggling as Whole Foods' apology is, that they 'mistakenly' put asparagus in bottled water, they obviously do have other rather outrageously expensive and strange products on their shelves, as we just saw. This raises the question, does it have to be like this? Do we really have to buy honey for $80 if we care about being organic, artisan, healthy and eco-friendly and supporting fairtrade?  

Is Whole Foods for example really that much better than let's say Aldi - or its American version: Trader Joe's? “If you were to shop at Aldi today, you would find almond milk, organic coconut oil and chia seeds because that’s what our customers are looking for,” Joan Kavanaugh, vice president of Aldi corporate buying, told MarketWatch. So, the types of food that are popular among the health conscious folks are not so exclusive anymore. But what about the eco-friendliness and sustainability factor? Let's look at Aldi's website. Right next to the 'About us' link, they have the section about 'Responsibility', and upon closer inspection, they do cover all the areas that are generally considered to be the major points of concern for environmentally conscious shoppers. From their stand on Palm Oil use to the range of organic products that they offer and which all carry the label by the Soil Association and their No GM policy, Aldi does address all of them. 

Whole Foods vs Aldi

But how about the middle price segment which is somewhere between Aldi and Whole Foods such as a trusted high street brand and Britain's pride and joy Marks and Spencer. Just like Aldi they have their responsibility (named Plan A) link right on the landing page right next to About Us. And that page is packed with information about responsible sourcing, supply chain control, work in the community etc. Again, it does look like they take their responsibility in terms of sustainability and eco-friendliness quite serious. 

I get the feeling that the majority of the people who shop at Whole Foods and are willing to pay these ridiculous prices do so firstly because they can, secondly, because they do believe that the product must be of better quality because of what it costs (some people are that gullible, really, I have met them), and thirdly shopping there is not just shopping, it is probably an experience and gives them the feeling of being part of a particular group of people. A group that is well off and even if you would hold all the available ecolabels and certificates ranging from the Rainforest Alliance to Fairtrade under their nose, they would still rather shop at Whole Foods. Pushing your cart down the brightly lit aisles of Aldi with all its rather boring looking shelves and big yellow price labels, past the piles of pyjamas and tool boxes that are on sale, is probably less enthralling than experiencing the fancy and stylish shop interieurs offered by Whole Foods. 

Whole Foods, more than just shopping - it is an experience

By Infrogmation of New Orleans (Photo by Infrogmation) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

ALDI in Germany and honestly it looks exactly the same in every other country.

"Aldigang" by Kira Nerys at the German language Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aldigang.jpg#/media/File:Aldigang.jpg

Conclusion 

So to answer my initial question, NO, we do not have to spend one month's salary on 'granola that is being blown back and forth between two fans', just to quote from Oliver's video that describes the level of sheer absurdity of Whole Foods. If you shop wise and do some research, you can buy groceries that is affordable and does not use harmful ingredients, has an audited supply chain and is also healthy for you. Or go to your local farmer's market. There are plenty here in London. But my own personal caveat is that the focus is too much on consumption. There seems to be the notion that if you consume this or that, you do good. But what about our everyday actions, such as commuting, working, holidaying and other lifestyle activities? Buying a Prius and shopping at Whole Foods will not solve the issue and it is alienating a whole demographic that can simply not identify itself with the set of behavioural patterns, the level of wealth and lifestyle that is being propagated if we simply argue, healthy and sustainable lifestyle is defined by what we consume - and only if it is expensive can it be good. 

Of course, it is one own's personal decision to live a greener lifestyle, however if that lifestyle feels so far removed from your own reality, it is hardly an option worth to be considered. I would argue that we are too hung up on consumerism than on actually engaging people in hands on activities and focus on education that could add so much to a greener future.