Excerpt form The Age -Paul Sheehan (The floods and food prices http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/next-shock-will-be-high-food-prices-20110116-19sen.html)
"Australia is addicted to fertiliser - to compensate for declining soil fertility - and transport, thanks to an absurdly centralised food distribution network. The idea of growing and consuming food locally is a largely alien concept to Australia's supermarket oligopoly."
The fact is we as Australians rely completely on our supermarkets. Backyards are getting smaller and fruit and veggie gardens almost non existant. We continue to have our food transported from all over the country because heaven forbid we dont have tomatoes all year round. Our farmers ofcourse supply this food but at what cost to our environment. The soil doesnt get looked after, we drain it of nutrients and then dump more toxic fertilisers and pesticides on for the next crop.
Sorry for the rant but it doesnt take alot to look after the soil. Composting, manure, mulching, worms, proper crop rotation. Okay so on a large scale it does get more difficult .
Anyway, hopefully the higher food prices will encourage people to start to grow some of their food at home again...every bit counts. But no only that, farmers markets and local fruit and veggie shops are a great way to get fresh produce, at a lower price, that tastes better and is generally grown locally! If that is not enough of an incentive then think of the fuel the trucks from all around australia use to get produce to the big supermarkets!
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