Eco Comment – One Health: A Better Food System for All

A break from the questions this week.

Last month I attended the launch of the Wakefield District Good Food Partnership (I mentioned this in the Eco Comment 11.10.24). It comprises people from many backgrounds and interests but they all have an interest in food. Food impacts on everything we do and unites us. The aim of this group is to work towards food security and food justice for all in the local district. It is open to anyone interested and will be meeting regularly over the next year and hopefully years to come. If anyone would like to join us, please let me know and I’ll share the information.

This month also happens to be the ‘Fare Share Zero Food Waste Challenge’ where almost 500 people are trying to consciously reduce the amount of food that they throw away at the same time as raising money to get more meals to people going hungry across the UK. It has certainly given me food for thought. I usually pride myself on not wasting food but it’s amazing how, when you know that you have to pay a forfeit if you do throw something away, you discover that that piece of fruit has gone bad or the milk has gone sour due to not cancelling the milkman when you knew that you were going away.

Continuing the food interest saw me attending an evening at Farmer Copley’s, Pontefract with a roomful of farmers! It really wasn’t the free supper that drew me to the event but the presentations and questions that followed the supper. The audience was an interesting mix of people of all ages. The evening was hosted by an organisation called ‘Future Farmers of Yorkshire’ and the ‘Yorkshire Agricultural Society’.

‘One Health: A Better Food System for All’ was the focus of the evening and four speakers from different backgrounds each spoke for 20 minutes.

The first speaker was a member of the research team at Leeds University. The team work under the name of ‘Fix our Food’ and lead research into the composition of soil and how farmers can utilise, protect and improve the quality of soil which is such a necessary part of food production. 98% of our food comes from, or has, soil as an integral part of growth. They are now in their third year of research and are already influencing the work of the agricultural world.

The second speaker was a Nottinghamshire farmer and until recently an MP. He spoke on the importance of farmers in general and how they should be valued. He gave an interesting view that farmers need to be part of the solution with regards to action on climate change and not be seen as part of the problem. An interesting aside from his time as an MP was that politicians tend to disregard mass produced letters from groups. The message is that if you write to your MP asking for support, write your own letter, don’t just add your name to one already produced by whichever organisation that’s asked. He spoke about the ‘Farm to Fork’ summit and its role in encouraging the next generation of farmers to see that they have got an economic future in farming and that as a career they will be valued.

The third speaker was a GP and first generation farmer. This presentation echoed the content of a recent BBC Food Programme in that what we eat is vital to our wellbeing. The focus has to be on nutrition and seeing the link between what is grown or comes from the land and our overall health. Recent research shows that mineral content is declining in some vegetables and that nutrients in food do vary. Other countries are starting to address these deficiencies and chefs are now growing the food that they want to use in their food preparation. Taste is key. Good food tastes good. The message was that food is medicine. One health can come from healthy soil and create healthy people. A healthy environment equals healthy animals and in turn enables people to be healthy. People need to be told what farmers are doing to help consumers be healthy. Food can and should be seen as preventative medicine.

The last speaker was known to me through the group Christians Aware. Last year they had a study weekend at Parcival Hall and its focus was the environment. As well as having some fascinating speakers, visits out into the area were also arranged. One such visit was to the Strickley Organic Farm in Cumbria. For 150 years this 300 acre farm has been in the same family and has been fully organic for 19 years. They farm 250 dairy short horn cows but the interesting aspect to this farm is the grassland that creates permanent pasture, the 14 acres of woodland, 10.5 kms of hedgerows, 17 acre hay meadow, 2 acre pond, 10 acres of wetland, 4km becks and lots of drystone walls. The farm here thrives on diversity and is responding to the reality of climate change and not regarding it as all doom and gloom. They are making the best of what they have and planning for the next 25 years. As we were told, if you plant trees now they will provide shade later for livestock in the fields. The message for future student farmers is that hedgerows are as important as ploughing a straight furrow. Farmers also need to understand what’s in the soil; all the creatures present. This farm spends a considerable amount of time showing visitors of all ages around the farm. The thinking being that if people engage with farming they will understand it better. If they get their hands dirty by doing practical activities they will never forget the experience. Farmers must feel empowered by current times, not threatened.

Key messages that came out of the Q & A session that followed is that future proofing is diversifying. Farming is a good preparation for the unexpected. Resilience is key, but we must work together.

A salutary fact was given towards the end of the evening. Sixty years ago one dozen eggs cost the same amount as 1 cwt (approximately 50kgs) of wheat. Today the price for UK (ICE) Feed wheat is £179.55. The message here is that consumers need to be educated as to the true price of food and that the retailers have to endorse these prices. A sobering thought as food prices are already a cause for concern in many echelons of society. It is in part why the local food partnership group has been created. Healthy people who know how to cook the food that they find locally will be healthier and be less of a drain on the resources of the NHS. DEFRA needs to work with the NHS and Social Care. Food should be a key aspect of recovery in hospitals. We have a lot to do!

We in the Cathedral Eco Group are doing our bit to respond to some of these issues and we can announce that we will be showing the film ‘Nine Inches of Soil’ on Wednesday 09 April 2025. The film showing will be followed by an opportunity to ask questions from local people involved in farming and food production. Save the date.

My final food related event this week is taking part in some research into how colour affects the perceived taste of bread. I’m hungry just thinking about it.

Susan Morgan
Eco Group