What will we be eating if TTIP* were to become a reality?

With GMO and cloning laws becoming more lenient to suit larger corporations,
the two-headed porker may become a food of the future.
As crazy as it sounds, gobbling up twice as much feed means that he also fattens up
twice as fast, making him extremely efficient to rear. Now that’s what you call cheap meat! Yum?!

SO what could we be eating in the future? Lets take the humble porker as our example:

1.   Cloning will be a reality. These cloned porkers will be reared for efficiency, and will never see the day light as they will be reared indoors in crowded and distressing surroundings, breaking all British welfare standards we have worked so hard to maintain. The aim is to have more, more, more food, and at a cheaper price, and this will come at larger costs.

2.   Animals reared for meat will be pumped full of antibiotics that will act as a growth promoters. The only way these animals can grow to the abnormal size they do, is if they are pumped full of antibiotics, so that their bodies can’t react to infections caused by the fast rate of growth. This also puts us, the consumers of this meat, at risk of becoming antibiotic resistant. This has the potential for larger health problems to develop.

3.   The demand for GMOs will grow. Currently even conventionally reared meat in the UK is fed GMO grains and soy, but the demand for this will grow immensely as pork production grows. This will put pressure on our natural environment, leading to further destruction of fragile rainforests that will be replaced by miles and miles of mono cropping. Cash crops on this scale go hand in hand with speculation buying, making the market more vulnerable to price fluctuations. GMOs are also known to cause defected growth in young piglets.

4.   Small and medium sized UK Farmers will be pushed out of the market. Competition will open up, and there will be no space for small-scale pig farmers. The mega farm will dominate the market. This will put many rare breed farmers out of business, and will put pressure on medium sized businesses to lower their standards and upscale. This will be disastrous to the rural economy as well as the rural environment.

5.   Bigger porkers, bigger portions, bigger consumers. Cheaper food will have further health implications for the consumer. Although everyone will be able to afford to eat pork everyday, the meat will lack essential natural nutrients found in outdoor reared and organic pork. Lower food standards will also make us more susceptible to MRSA, often found in poorer quality US pork.

This is just the T-TIP of the iceberg. Make you’re voice heard here: http://www.nottip.org.uk/

*TTIP: The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is a secret trade talk taking place between the EU and the US. Leaked document and the history of trade deals can help us speculate what the outcome of these talks will be. The ultimate aim, is to have freer trade between both parties, which will include deregulating and removing trade barriers (which are currently there for a reason – mainly due to health, safety and consumer protection). These talks will only favour policies that benefit large corporations, leaving the state and the consumer powerless.

Resources:

http://www.waronwant.org/campaigns/trade-justice/more/inform/18262-ttip-resources

http://www.iatp.org/documents/10-reasons-ttip-is-bad-for-good-food-and-farming

http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/tags/ttip

The Fundi’s Shack

It’s funny how you can find inspiring ideas in the most unexpected places. For the last four months, I’ve been walking past a bicycle fundi on my way to work, not really paying all that much attention to his set up. Up until a few weeks ago, we had only exchanged greetings, but that changed when I noticed a group of guys sat on what looked like computer monitors. I was intrigued and so decided to venture over and  take a closer look. What I found in the fundi’s shack were some fantastic examples of how E-Waste can be reutilised for everyday use. I discovered the shack is shared with three ladies who cook and serve food throughout the day. In the “kitchen” area, I noticed the very practical use of old fridge doors, used for storing fruit and veg. I liked what I saw, so I promised I’d come back to try their food.

On my second visit, I sat down for a cup of chai and a warm flaky chappatti. The ladies were in the process of making pilau, which smelt incredibly fragrant. I asked if I was allowed to take pictures, and although I was granted permission, no one could quite see what the fuss was about. I did try to explain to them why I thought it a cleaver use of waste materials, but as cultural differences go the idea wasn’t grasped, and chuckles and giggles made me realise that the monitor stools and the fridge doors were just another example in many of Kenyan resourcefulness. 

ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is probably one of the worst plastics for recycling, but because of its durable nature, it’s used a great deal in casings for electronic goods. This has meant, that not only is there a vast amount of e-waste that we will have to deal with, but it also a huge amount of plastic that can not be recycled. As e-waste becomes an increasing problem here in Kenya, creative solutions will be required to deal with the various components that come from electronic goods. This should be taken into consideration with the product’s life cycle, which sometimes will never have a “grave”. What I saw at the fundi’s shack made me realise, that because of the resourcefulness of Africans, there must be many examples in the least expected places on how to reutilise obsolete products in new exciting ways. Solutions are always there, but it’s up to the individual to be adaptable, as my friend the fundi has been. 

True Swahili Hospitality

Culinary appreciation takes a while to develop here in Mombasa. It has taken me two months to value Swahili food, and it’s not because the food is bad by any means, but because the variety available is not so obvious at first glance. With time I have come to understand that diversity comes with different locations. What people eat in Mombasa city is very different to what people eat in rural Mombasa. The people in the city come from all over Kenya and put preference on convenience, which is reflected in the food they eat. But go to the slow paced rural areas of Mombasa, and this is where you will find true Swahili food. The Swahili people are descendants of Arabic settlers and the indigenous Bantu people of Sub-Saharan Africa. They are hospitable, laid back, and very resourceful. Visiting these rural areas, you are forever reminded of the cross breed of cultures in the food they eat.

A recent visit to a small farm in Diani, the south coast of the Mombasa, was a perfect example of Swahili culture. We went to visit a group of farmers who were finding that their farm was too reliant on farming inputs. They were looking at ways of reducing this with assistance from a Japanese intern called Toshihiro Yoshida. Toshi’s task is a big one, and I wanted to see how he plans on overcoming these problems, by visiting the farm and talking to the farmer group.

Walking to the farm

Our journey began on the main tourist strip of Diani, where we were met by Toshi, who led us down a dirt track and away from the fancy beach hotels. As we headed inland, we noticed, that coral rocks still made up much of the ground. This is a problem for many farmers in the area as the coral that runs deep into the ground makes farming difficult, whilst also contributing to serious flooding during the rainy seasons because of it’s impermeable nature.We strolled through lush vegetation and darker soil for about 30 minuets. As we head towards the farm, we began to notice the plants around us: mango trees, coconut trees, cashew trees, maize and cassava. Hardy plants that are common across the Indian Ocean. Settlers introduced many of these plants to the coastal area for their ability to grow in tough conditions. Salty water and sandy soil has meant that there is little variety when it comes to growing fruit and vegetables. The difficult environment also means that only a few varieties of introduced crops have actually survived.

Toshi and Kursheui

When we arrived at the farm, Kursheui, the Chief farmer of the Mwakamba Farmer Group greeted us and introduced us to the rest of the farmers that comprised of both women and men. We talked about the lack of rain, and the expected yield of the season’s produce. We then discussed problems faced by the farmers with regards to their reliance on external inputs and considered ways of reducing this. As we talked, they began to reveal other problems: too much diversification, unpredictable weather and member fallouts. We took a look around their farm and noticed signs of trailed and failed projects: a big greenhouse; water tanks; a well with no pump; and an empty chicken coup. Classic examples of projects that have had heavy foreign investment but no post monitoring. A common problem in Africa. 

Mwakamba Greenhouse

This aside, (I don't really want to delve into the politics of agricultural development in this post), the farmers were very happy to consider our suggestions. We drew diagrams in the dirt to explain how they could make their own manual pump for the well, harness rainwater, and create their own compost heap. Communication can sometimes be hard, but in this case it was extremely hard as we had three languages in the group: Swahili, English and Japanese.

To show their gratitude we were treaded to a feast of fresh produce from the farm. We began with freshly gathered cashews. I had never really thought about how cashews grow, so I was really surprised to see this:

Cashew fruit growing on tree

Cashew fruit and pod

The cashew fruit smelt deliciously sweet when cut into. But because it was under ripe, it was extremely sour, and the skin was a little bit chalky. Despite this, I liked it. It was refreshing and juicy, which was exactly what we needed after three hours in the sun.

We then took our cashew pods and roasted them whole. This took as little as ten minuets. The tricky part was cracking the pods. Their exterior shell is extremely tough, which makes getting out the nut intact rather hard.

Raw cashews in their pods

Geting the cashews out of their pods, roasted

Roasted cashews

I can honestly say that freshly roasted cashews, straight out of their pods, are in my top five flavour experiences. The texture, the warmth and the nutty flavour was just incredible. I sat there in silence with the biggest smile on my face.

After this, we uprooted a cassava (mogo) plant and pulled off the edible roots. We rinsed them and peeled off the exterior then began munching on the white flesh. The milky starchiness of the root was thirst quenching, like sugar cane, whilst also being distinctly rooty… or earthy. Like maize, cassava can be ground into flour and is used to make mogo ugali, mogo bread and mogo ugi. It can also be boiled, roasted… and my favourite: thinly sliced, deep fried then sprinkled with chilly powder, salt and heavily limed. 

Peeling fresh casava

To top this off, a small semi dried coconut was collected. It was cut in half and we passed around the sweet coconut water.

Coconut

The white flesh was removed and everyone was given a piece. We were told to eat the raw cassava and coconut together and combine the two in our mouth for a third dimensional flavour… WOW! The fibrous texture of the cassava and the crunchiness of the coconut were harmonised by the simultaneous milkyness released by both counterparts. It was definitely an unforgettable flavour combination that I never would have thought of putting together.

Eating coconut and raw casava together

We refreshed at the well and as we did, Kursheui invited us to his house, which we were told was “20 minuets” away, in the adjacent coastal district of Tiwi. Without contemplation, we accepted. We said our good-byes to the other farmers and made our way by foot to Kursheui’s home.

In true African style we took the scenic route and walked “pole pole” through a few villages were we got distracted a few times and stopped and talked to people. We then came to a river crossing, where there was a man on his canoe, who, for 10 bob helped people get to the other side. “Before this, we used to cross the river by foot,” explained Kursheui. 

Crossing the saline river

We huddled into the tiny canoe and took in the surrounding beauty. On the other side we noticed these little funny guys:

Mangrove Crabs

We continued our safari in the stiffening heat for about 40 minuets, until finally we arriving to a Kurcheui’s “little” compound of self-sufficiency. A typical mud hut nestled amongst towering trees. We were taken around the compound and shown projects that Kurcheui was working on:

Natural fencing

Nursery

Sour fruit, used in cooking

Custard apples

As we relaxed under a big mango tree and sliced up a ripe mango. We talked about how Kurcheui’s father had passed down the land to him, about his future plans for the compound and his dreams to see his farming group grow.

We rested for an hour or so before heading to the local hospital for a cold soda. I noticed a few colourful murals on the wall aimed at spreading awareness about HIV. I noticed most of the people in the hospital were women, and that all were Muslim. The set up looked pretty good, and I was impressed by the accessibility for the local villages.

Poster, raising awareness about HIV

We downed our sodas and made our way to the main road. Our trip took longer then expected, but in all honestly I could have stayed longer. There was so much to learn and talk about that I felt that our trip was cut short.

Empty soda bottles

We got on our bus back to the hustle and bustle of Mombasa, and as we entered the city, I began to notice how different the Swahili culture of the city and rural areas are. The people, the language and the food of Mombasa are so different because of it's foreign influences, compared to the rural micro-culture of the rural villages.

This is what makes community specific projects important. At times when organisations are low on funding, they can hardly afford to go to the field and meet the communities they need to meet. Desktop research becomes the norm, and that connection with the community is lost. This is exactly what a great deal of organisations are suffering from. The organisation forgets about their initial intentions and gets bogged down with finding funding… and this is dangerous.

In the case of Mwakamba, they are lucky to have Toshi working closely with the farmer group over the period of two years. This integration and immersion process is vital in identifying actual community needs and implementing a sustainable project. It costs very little, or at least it should. It means that the community will eventually take control over their project with close training monitoring. Most importantly it helps preserve the community’s culture. It’s a timely process, but it means that projects last because they are community specific. Innovation not duplication is crucial.

The sincere hospitality I have experience here in Mombasa from small-scale producers is inspirational. They have all been through hard times, but despite this, they continue to welcome outsiders, such as myself. I feel like I have learnt much more then I can ever give, which makes these people are my inspiration. Asante Sana!  

Ethical Food of the Future

Recent experiences in my life have made me change my mind about the future we all face. Some believe the future will be a fight for survival, every man for them selves, whilst others believe the future will be the creating of like minded communities, where “local” and “support” are the reoccurring buzz words. I have always been a believer in the second, but found it rather romantic, and unachievable in a world where everything seems to be a competition. But after leaving the UK, and coming back with a new perspective on the country, had made me realise that there is much potential to head the “right” way, and this could all be thanks to the recession…

The shift we see in the global economy can also be seen in cultural habits: as the west becomes more conscious with what they’re eating and where their food comes from, the east is becoming more concerned with convenience and price. As we become more educated in food, the big companies begin to accommodate this. For example, Cadburys now makes Fair Trade chocolate for the western market, as there is now a demand for it by chocolate consumers. They don't do it out of ethical choice, but to increase profit margins. This is called the halo/Fairwashing effect, and more and more big brands are doing this. The small fraction of Cadbury’s product range that is Fair Trade gives an illusion that Cadburys are entirely Fair Trade, where as most of their other chocolate is probably produced in unethical ways, and their Fair Trade chocolate probably only just meets requirements. If you went to Asia you would not be able to find Fair Trade Cadburys anywhere, as there is no demand for it. Big companies follow fads, trends and consumer behaviour closely, and getting sucked in is very easy by savvy marketing. So what is ethical food?

Well, as an “Ethical-Food Designer” I have been trying to find the answer to this for a while now, and there are many traps that one can fall into, such as the one mentioned above. I have always felt, that certification marks the value of a product of produce, but again, this can be another trap as sometimes companies only pass the bear minimum requirements for certification, and with so many certifying bodes for Organic, Free-Range, Environmental, Ethical, Fair Trade etc, it is hard to remember what exactly each one stands for and what their requirements are.  From a design perspective, I feel it is important to know what process your food goes through to get from ground to plate. The way the produce has been cultivated, manufactured/processed, packaged, transported, stocked and even marketed all play a part in the journey of our foods. Personally, the shorter the chain, the better.

New certifying bodies are introducing a first party certification system for small scale farmers and producers, which involves the local community checking up on, working closely with and trusting the farmer in the claims they make about the produce they deliver. This works particularly well in countries where small-scale farming and production is common. The model for this type of certification was actually drawn up and experimented on in Brazil, with such success, that it has been put in place across the world, and is now even creeping in to the UK.

Small scale, and community supported agriculture aren’t just “fads”, it’s a movement that has been seeing positive results world wide. Social enterprises that focus on an aspect of food, be it food security, healthy eating, dinner clubs, all see great results, as it is a topic to which most people can relate, using food as a powerful tool for which to bring people together, and using it as the bases of developing creativity, business skills, environmental education and most importantly self worth.

A handful of social enterprises exist in the UK that use food as a bases of bettering lives. Their aims and goals are to educate and help develop and even strengthen communities. Reform into the social responsibilities large companies have could help small social enterprises start off, with professional help and advice, maybe even seeing collaborations on projects in the future.

I can’t see a better time in which to develop Food projects within Social Enterprise: as we see the desperate need for job generation, and the need to strengthen local economies. People now want to make more educated decisions about what they consume and I believe social enterprise can capitalise on this, and use it as a way of making food even more ethical, what’s better then buying food that’s good for the people who make it, for the environment, and for the consumer. It seems like the obvious answer that could bring back a community’s identity, economy and ethicality where everyone benefits.