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KEEP XMAS LOCAL THIS YEAR

13 Dec 2000

Shop locally this Christmas. That's the seasonal message from Friends of the Earth (FOE) this year. FOE is urging shoppers to give their local economy a Christmas bonus by buying their festive feast from local farmers. And there's plenty of choice. FOE found an impressive range of seasonal food available at farmers markets around the country.

There are four good reasons for buying local food - not just for Christmas but as a new way of shopping throughout the year.

• Good for the Farmer
  Buying local produce is good for farmers who are struggling to compete with cheap imports. Buying direct, at a farmers' market for example, is even better as it cuts out the 'middleman'so the farmer gets a better price. Farmers' markets have proved to be a lifeline for some farmers fed up with the exacting demands of supermarkets.
  
• Good for the Consumer
  Farmers' markets are a good place to find pesticide-free organic food. Pesticides found in Christmas veg [1] include iprodione in brussels sprouts (iprodione is suspected of interfering with the hormone system) , organophosphates in carrots (organophosphates effect the nervous system) and aldicarb in potatoes (aldicarb is highly toxic and works as a nerve poison). Shoppers can also find out direct from the farmer exactly how their Christmas turkey was raised!
• Good for the Economy
  The annual turnover from farmers' markets in the UK is £65 million. Buying locally means that more money stays in your local area.
  
•  Good for the Environment
  Local food has travelled fewer miles so its probably fresher. It's also better for the environment - less food miles means less pollution, and reduced packaging. Supermarket veg may well have travelled many miles. For example some sprouts are transported from Kent to Scotland to be processed!

FOE has discovered that locally produced food around the country ranges from local turkey at Bath and Marlborough farmers' markets to locally grown organic brussels sprouts, potatoes carrots and parsnips at Malton farmers' market in Yorkshire. All these foods had come from farms less than 25 miles away.

Food and drink on sale at farmers markets has also included traditional regional cheeses,home-baked mince pies and locally made punch. Londoners can buy UK produce including organic turkey and seasonal vegetables at farmers' markets around the capital. Many farmers markets also sell Christmas gifts and crafts.

There are more farmers' markets taking place around the country between now and Christmas. Local food can also be found in greengrocers, street markets, and butchers,and from 'veggie boxes' delivered straight to the customers door.

Sandra Bell, Real Food Campaigner of Friends of the Earth said:
“Our message to people shopping for Christmas dinner is to keep it local - buy your food from your local farmers as much as possible. Not only will this support struggling farmers, it helps to cut pollution and packaging because food won't have travelled very far. Farmers markets, vegetable boxes, and many local shops sell tasty and fresh food. And if you buy direct from the farmer you can find out exactly how your food has been produced so you can avoid factory-farmed turkeys and toxic pesticides on your carrots and sprouts. Buying local has many benefits - not just for Christmas but for the rest of the year too”.

NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Pesticide residue information from the annual reports of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues, published each year by MAFF.

[2] Information about dates and locations of farmers markets is available from the National Association of Farmers' Markets www.farmersmarkets.net [01225 287 914], and a list of London farmers markets is available from www.londonfarmersmarkets.com [020 7704 9659]

[3] Information about vegetable box schemes and suppliers of local organic food can be obtained from the Soil Association [0117 929 0661].

[4] Friends of the Earth has local campaigners in Bath, Marlborough, London and Yorkshire available for local comment.

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