Programme on food production

[Meanqueen]

A programme you might like to watch on BBC 3 tomorrow night, Blood Sweat and Takeaways. Food production in far off places, all of a sudden I am not very hungry.

to put you off food

Ilona

[Effie]

I have heard the trailers for this on the radio. I'm ashamed to say that I might not watch it to remain blissfully ignorant. We do try to eat ethically, in particular, we eat fewer meat meals so that we can afford to be careful what we buy. I think this week they are looking a tuna processing. Tuna was one of my 'safe' foods, if it was line caught. I never thought there was a human cost in the processing.

One more thing off the menu

[lancashire lass]

I found the BBC article quite enlightening, and some of the comments at the end were also interesting showing how people have different feelings about it.

[saint-spoon]

Very interesting programme and to be honest it's something that needs to be highlighted. All to often we can hide behind the ignorance of the EU packaging regulations. I was in Romania not long after the fall of the soviet union and many were still in abject poverty working for $30 (US) a month turning imported frozen chickens from Brazil into the likes of chick-o-fingers for the supermarket.
I’m looking forward to the one about rice, I wonder how many of us really know the misery endured by some to afford the west the luxury of a varied diet.

[Orfy]

If you boycott food produced in that way then there is less work for the employees of that company.
It's very complex and not easy to deal with.

f you really care rather than just paying lip service then the best thing you can do is travel to these places and get money into the local economy directly. Obviously that is not easy or viable. The next best thing is find someone who is going and ask them to buy something for you from or local supplier. If I know anyone going to poverty stricken area I make a small donation and ask them to buy something for me from someone who needs the money. I'm happy for them to buy food from a local market then give it to those that need it.
I Always try to holiday in an area of the world that surfers poverty for this reason. (not always for my budget travels)
It's my way of making sure money goes directly to those who need it rather than paying some charity director to drive a Merc.

Sorry for the ramble and rant.

[wendy]

You are so right Orfy.
We do travel a bit and when ever we go ashore we buy something. I do have some pretty bad handmade nicknacks, that pretty soon go to the charity shop but it all puts money into their economy.
The really worse place we have been to was Roatann [s] what a very poor Country that was !.
Not long been back from Vietnam, they were very poor also. But were wonderful with making the most of what they had. Sorry a little
Wendy

[Stig]

I didn't see the programme sadly, so I won't push my views too hard on this. It's not third world companies who decide to rear chickens in Brazil (prob the country where animal welfare standards are the cheapest to conform with) and send them to Romania for processing (where labour is cheapest - health & safety etc probably doesn't figure very highly).

It is wealthy western multi-nationals, and the kind of economies that emerge in developing countries do not raise living standards of the general populus at all - just divert resources to providing more cheap goods for the west while most people live in poverty. Buy those goods if you want to safeguard slave labour where 20 years ago (okay, maybe longer) the economy was predominantly agricultural.

In my opinion holidaying abroad in poor countries is no substitute for charitable donations. It will not vaccinate anyone or prolong life of HIV sufferers or provide water & food to regions stricken with famine. I understand your concern about people coining it at charity's expense, Orfy - but we need charity! The world would be a far worse place if we left capitalism to solve all it's woes.

[Orfy]

In my opinion holidaying abroad in poor countries is no substitute for charitable donations. It will not vaccinate anyone or prolong life of HIV sufferers or provide water & food to regions stricken with famine. I understand your concern about people coining it at charity's expense, Orfy - but we need charity! The world would be a far worse place if we left capitalism to solve all it's woes.

I agree we need charity but what if we can reduce poverty directly there is less need for charity. I can not afford to make monthly / regular donations to charities and do not want to pay the wages of the charity directors. For those that can ease their guilt by making a donation and forgetting then that is fine. We need all sorts of funding. I'm happier with direct funding. I like my pound to go in the pocket of the person who needs it. I'll leave those who have money to spare to give a pound and be happy that 5 - 50p upwards gets to the destination.

I understand that charities have cost and need to pay wages. But If I want £200 to go directly to the poor then I'd rather spend £1000 on a holiday and give the money directly to the recipient than give £500 to a charity knowing that only 350 to £100 will be spent on the recipient. Granted I can't guarantee what the money will be spent on but at least it is available to them and it is going into the local economy. Plus some some my holiday money also goes into the economy.

I think tourism (the right kind) helps local people more than any charities.


Sorry, rant over.
It's my view and I understand it is a controversial one that lots of people do not agree with,

[Homemade]

Have to say I agree with Stig here. Proper charities who encourage local business has got to be the way forward, "teach a man to fish" etc. Tourism cannot be the answer in the current global crisis. As for not being able to afford a monthly amount, how much does a holiday with flights cost? not just in cash but carbon footprint. I don't ease my guilt by donating and then forget, I have kept up my donations through unemployment and tough times. Watever we suffer here it's as nothing to the lives of people in the third world. And what is more the political impact of charities is huge and worthwhile, one persons voice will never be heard.
Triple bonus is supporting charity shops where we recycle, get bargains and support others.