Well done to the 300 people who joined the ’30 Day Local Food Challenge this year’. It seemed particularly urgent and relevant this year in the context of Climate Change, Greta Thunberg speaking at the UN and of course Brexit. Yet over the last four years since the challenge started, what have we done as an island to ensure more food sovereignty and resilience?
For an overview of how the month went, check out our facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/30daylocalfoodchallenge/
For more information about why it is so important to support local growers and eat local food, check out:
https://lisafingleton.wpengine.com/project/the-local-food-project/
Participant Feedback:
“I learned so much by doing the local food challenge and was shocked at how little fruit and veg we are actually growing in Ireland. I always thought we were such a ‘green’ country but now I realise that is because we grow so much grass for the dairy and beef sectors”.
“I didn’t know that Suicra is no longer an Irish owned business and that we no longer produce sugar here in Ireland. That was the hardest thing, giving up sugar”.
“Where are all the vegetables? I drive an hour to work every day and see no food growing in our fields. All this talk about Brexit yet we are doing very little to make ourselves more self sufficient. Why are we importing so much food when we have the rain and soil to grow so much? I just can’t understand it.”
“My children are ‘striking’ for climate change in school and have turned vegan to help save the planet. I feel we as adults are letting them down by keeping our heads in the sand about climate change’
“I love being part of the 30 day local food challenge. It helps me to focus my mind in early spring. If I want to eat fresh, homegrown food in September I need to start preparing in March”