Reference

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There’s a lot more to food these days than just eating it. No longer is it easy just to grab something off the supermarket shelves without sparing a thought for how the food was produced, how far it’s travelled and how it’s been packaged. From use of pesticides to factory or battery farming, genetically engineered/modified (GE/GM) food to food miles, there’s lots to give us food for though every time we put something on our plates.

Pesticides

Pesticides have been used to protect crops since before 500BC, but the effects of pesticides on the environment, the people using them and the consumer have prompted the development of healthier pesticide options. It has also seen the creation of the organic movement, farmers refusing to use pesticides and consumers refusing to buy products where pesticides have been used. If you’d rather avoid pesticides, there’s a simple alternative – buy organic.

Factory/battery farming

Industrial agriculture, also known as factory or battery farming, refers to the industrialised production of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops. The aim is to produce the highest yield at the lowest cost and the practice is widespread in developed countries. It is a hotly debated topic as animal rights activists condemn the practices as cruelty while farmers defend their rights to earn a living. As consumers, we have the choice to buy food produced with less exploitation of animals, including free-range eggs and organically produced foods, often available at farmers markets. See our feature on meat-free diets.

GE/GM Food

Genetically modified foods produced by genetic engineering have been available since the 1990s. The aim was to create plants that would produce greater yields and could withstand illnesses. Some GE foods, for instance, have natural immunities to bacteria. The gene that causes this is then isolated and added to another crop.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) published a report in 2004 that stated that “foodstuffs made of genetically modified crops that are currently available (mainly maize, soybean, and oilseed rape) have been judged safe to eat, and the methods used to test them have been deemed appropriate”. However, it also states that there is a lack of evidence on possible long-term effects which means that there could be risks involved with eating GM food.

People in the United States and Canada are eating a lot more genetically engineered foods than in many other countries in the world. Some have called it the largest feeding experiment in human history and say most people are not even aware of the fact they are eating GM food. This is not as much of an issue in New Zealand. Along with all of the European Union nations, Japan, China and Australia, New Zealand requires the mandatory labelling of foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients. As a result, local food manufacturers choose to use non-genetically engineered ingredients, but some imported processed foods still contain GM ingredients. Always check the labels, and be aware that food from imported from the US and Canada may have been modified.

Food packaging

How our food is packaged is just as much of an issue as what it contains. Each New Zealander throws away an average of 83 kilos of packaging each year1, accounting for roughly an eighth of all rubbish going into landfill. Until legislation forces food producers and manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging the use, consumers can make a difference by making more sustainable choices when buying food. You can avoid foods with excess packaging – remember that even recyclable packaging uses energy to recycle it. Take reusable bags to the supermarket and don’t put your fruit and vegetables in plastic bags to have them weighed. Finally, support shops and suppliers who are making an effort to reduce packaging waste.

Organic Food

Growing food organically is one way to increase the sustainability of our food supplies.

Organic Pathways
Gateway site to organics in New Zealand. News, gardening and shopping information, recipes, online shopping.
Organic Producers
localeye listing of organic food producers in Canterbury.
FAQs About Organic Food
Answers to common questions about organic food from Bio-Gro New Zealand.
Organic Food Retailers
localeye listing of organic food retailers in Christchurch and Canterbury.
Organic Directory Canterbury
Comprehensive directory of organic producers in Canterbury. Includes whether they have Bio-Gro certification. From Organic Pathways.

Food Miles

See our separate page on Food Miles, looking at how food is increasingly travelling the world to get to market, using valuable energy resources in the process.

We recommend – Food issues and ethics resources:

Our online resources:

Our Internet Gateway recommends:

Browse the resources in our libraries:

Source:

[1] Reducing packaging waste: A guide to the New Zealand Packaging Accord 2004, Ministry for the Environment, 27 February 2007.