What is fresh? Every time I walk through the supermarket I’m hit by these words. Fresh milk, farm fresh eggs, fresh tomatoes, fresh mushrooms. How can everything be fresh? I see “fresh” oranges that have come from California that are cheaper than oranges from Australia. “Fresh” I’m told.
California “fresh” oranges have been picked on the other side of the world, packed and refrigerated. They have been constantly refrigerated for their entire trip from California to Australia on a boat. Once they have arrived here they are taken to a warehouse, again constantly refrigerated, ensuring they don’t go off and stay “fresh”. They wait at this warehouse (being refrigerated) until they get packed into a truck. This truck drives them to a big chain supermarket. When they arrive they are unpacked onto a little tray in front of your eyes and put on sale for less than Aussie produce.
What powers this craziness? Oil powers the tractors, trucks and fertilisers used in the growing and picking of these Cali oranges. Coal is burnt at faraway power plants (losing about 40% of its efficiency in transmission) to power a refrigeration unit in California. Oil is burnt to power the boat and refrigerate the produce as they travel across the world. Oil is burnt to transfer the produce to a warehouse. Coal is burnt to power the refrigeration unit of the warehouse. Oil is burnt to power the truck that delivers the produce to the big chain supermarket. Coal is burnt to refrigerate the produce at the supermarket before it is packed onto the shelves. Oil is burnt as somebody drives a car to the supermarket. Coal is burnt to power the fridge at home where somebody keeps their “fresh” produce before they chuck it in their mouth.
Is that “fresh”? How much less energy would be used in growing some fruit and veg in a backyard? I can’t work out even an indicative number but I know it would be a ridiculous comparison. Only this time when you pick up fruit from the backyard and throw it in your mouth it really is “fresh”.
Now I don’t have a problem with Cali oranges, I just think that if there is an Aussie option... go for it! I know that these “fresh” overseas produce imports will have spent months on the move from wherever to arrive on selection at your major supermarket chain. Aussie produce hasn’t had to travel so far. Aussie produce encourages your local farmers. And it’s not like we don’t have a choice. Local farmer markets occur around Australia even in major cities like Sydney. Sydney have various growers markets spotted throughout the city that can make life easy for you. Fresher, more nutritious and delicious food in your belly. Cheaper as well because it hasn’t had to come halfway around the world to get to your plate.
Now it’s pretty obvious that food miles rile me up. I get angry about this stuff all the time but if everybody is a little more aware and acts to make a difference we can lessen the distance food travels to get to our plate and a major impact can be made. Every time the MyPOWER tour passes a side of road farmer selling produce we get involved and buy whatever fruit and veg we want/need and I can assure you it is cheaper and healthier than the supermarket option. The luxury of travel is that we pass these farmers all the time but the options are there for you at home aswell. Please visit “The Challenge” section and check out the challenge “buy local and seasonal produce”. The link there is to
www.farmersmarkets.org.au and from there you can easily find out where your local markets are.
Our good friend Jaeger Asha Richmond, who just met up with us in Cairns for a few days has started a little website about food that pleasures the palate while pleasing the planet. Check it out at
http://users.tpg.com.au/jaeger8//index.html
The MyPOWER team has been getting stuck into our fruit and veg on this east coast and it’s been awesome. Try out your local growers market, I hope it will bring you a breath of “fresh” air.
Quote of the day
“ Ignorance is like a delicate fruit; touch it, and the bloom is gone.”
- Oscar Wilde
anthony@mypower.org.au