Coldplay are starting their next leg of the Mylo Xyloto tour on 10th November, as part of this we are heading to New Zealand. Oxfam New Zealand staff member, Michael Smith, tells us more about why we’ll be at the Coldplay gigs talking to Coldplay fans.
At the upcoming Coldplay show in Auckland we’ll be asking fans about food topics that affect them. Do you buy Fairtrade certified products? Why? Why not? Are food prices too high? Should New Zealanders support Pacific producers more? These are some of the issues at the root of our GROW campaign for food justice, and we can’t wait to hear what you have to say.
There is a growing movement of people fighting to preserve our environment and prevent the depletion of our precious natural resources. In New Zealand in particular we pride ourselves on our clean green image, our efficient farming techniques and eco-conscious outlook. It’s this desire to minimise our environmental footprint that’s seen a rapid rise in the sustainable food movement.Sustainable food not only has a smaller carbon footprint but it also encourages green, open spaces in our increasingly urban lives. Going green with your food choices means looking out for locally grown produce – giving us the relative luxury of supporting our local, small-scale farmers.It could mean growing your own food, whether herbs in a window box or on a luscious lifestyle section. You don’t have to be an expert to give it a go and even the smallest spaces can be converted into a vege patch or herb garden. Another part of going sustainable means eating seasonally, which gives your body more of the nutrients as and when nature intended. The food is fresher and the nutrients are better preserved. Surely it’s a more natural way to be eating?
Sustainable food has been given a powerful boost by the rise of the farmers’ market, a common feature of the weekend landscape in many parts of the country. This is where small Kiwi producers cut out the middle-man and sell fresh local food directly. And have you seen the New Zealand fruit and food share map? You simply add your foodie freebies onto the map and source free-of-charge goodies growing around NZ. From feijoas and grapefruit to rosemary, walnuts and olives, it’s surprising how abundant gratis grub is! Others take an even more leftfield approach to food – in communities across NZ there are guerrilla groups venturing out under darkness to plant underused spaces with fruit trees and veggies.
We’re fortunate enough to be able to make these choices – in countries like New Zealand we have the power to decide when, where and from whom we get our food; we can vote with our wallets every time we shop. And we’re interested to hear what you think about sustainable food and how you choose what you eat. Add your comments below.
