Nothing Dramatic

Most of the publicity here about food miles has been New Zealand defending against claims from British food producers that New Zealand produce was environmentally unsound because it is shipped across the world. However, New Zealand farming is so much more efficient (lower fertilizer use, more natural grazing and less artificial feed, animals not having to be housed in the winter) that even after transport it has a lower carbon footprint. And New Zealand farmers will be carbon-audited from 2010.

So, last week I bought some house-brand strawberry jam from the nearest supermarket. a 680gm jar (most brands are 500gm) at a good price. I was amazed when I later checked the label to see "Product of Poland". Now I had always thought New Zealand was self-sufficient in berryfruit - and that we even export some of it. If you can buy New Zealand jam in Britain, but we are eating Polish jam in New Zealand, then that seems like a lot of unnecessary transport.