[m.i.] minimum impact

“The Food Standards Agency’s Board has unanimously agreed that a form of mandatory fortification of a food with folic acid should be recommended to UK health ministers. This would be as part of a package of measures to help prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), which can result in miscarriage, neonatal death or lifelong disability.” FSA press release (17 May) Financial Times (p.6), The Times (p.17), The Independent (p.15), Daily Mail (p.33) (18th May)

Thankfully “The Soil Association has opposed the proposal from the FSA advisory committee to mandatorily fortify all flour with folic acid, arguing in favour of an alternative option to improve dietary education.”; and this view is supported by major organic flour millers: Doves, Shipton and FWP Matthews!

Andrew Whitley of Bread Matters, and founder of Village Bakery, is the chair of the Soil Association processing standards committee and is on the Soil Association standards board. He says:
“My main objection to mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid is that it is a crude form of mass medication which uses a laudable aim (reduction of neural tube defects in babies) but a flawed method. Clearly, NTD births are related to the folate status of child-bearing women, so medicating me is not going to make a difference. Mandatory fortification is an admission of defeat, implying that there is no way to get women of child-bearing age to consume enough folate other than by sneaking it into all the flour they eat. But by not encouraging these women directly to consume an appropriate diet (with supplements if necessary), the policy runs completely counter to the ‘choice’ and ‘personalisation’ agendas set out by the government in its 2005 ‘Choosing Health’ white paper.”

Lizzie Vann, founder of the babyfood company Organix says, “It’s pretty bad that our conventionally produced cereals don’t have enough natural folate to produce healthy babies. The ideal has to be to eat food grown on properly manured, fertile soil that has loads of naturally occurring nutrients in it… What we need is not someone telling us what to eat, but better farming methods and lots of public health education.”
Guardian G2(pp.10-11) (18th May)

A few of our customers, like ourselves are concerned about the proposed mass fortification and we will be following this closely and updating the information here - thank god for the organic sector having the common sense that others are obviously lacking!

The Organic Pantry stock the full range of Bacheldre flours (a Welsh product) and a limited range of Doves flour.

it’s been a while! almost a year in fact since we last updated the blog…

well in that time we’ve set up our own shop - The Organic Pantry which is an organic grocery shop and local home delivery service : which is more than a veg box delivery, it’s convenience and choice in a box!

the idea for the shop came from our personal frustrations of the lack of choice and availability in our locality, and the decision is so far paying off! there are many others, who are now regular customers of ours that shared our frustrations and therefore we are building the business up slowly but surely.

we offer a better range than the local supermarkets, and in the opinion of our customers a better service too!
our vegetables, fruit and salad is in most cases cheaper than the supermarket equivalent with the added bonus of less packaging; and where available, locally sourced.

we obviously can’t compete against the supermarkets own label organic ranges, but our better choice (local where available) and service as well as our ethical approach is something that our customers are happy to pay a little bit more for!
it is our intention to do a price comparison between shopping with us and the supermarkets in the near future to prove that shopping local doesn’t have to break the bank…so watch this space.

this blog will continue where we left off; hi-lighting people, products and ideas that are trying to have a minimum impact on the world as well as keeping you up to date on our organic business adventure…

The Organic Pantry : for all your organic groceries delivered in Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath, Llanelli and surrounding areas : veg, fruit & salad; dairy; bread & cakes; biscuits, snacks & chocolate; baby food; chutneys & preserves; soups & sauces; nuts & dried fruit; pulses, beans and grains; baking ingredients; herbs & spices; condiments; meat & fish; hot & cold drinks; cereals; eco-friendly ecover cleaning; personal hygiene…

Earls Court, London, June 2nd, 3rd & 4th, 2006.

The Mad* Show gives you the largest collection of consumer goods under one roof that support Fairtrade, Organic production and a Sustainable lifestyle.

If you want to spend your money in the right way, but also demand style and quality, then the Mad* Show is for you.

There will be four zones - Home & Garden, Fashion & Beauty, Food & Drink and Travel & Transport.
Amongst the 1000’s of items showcased at The Mad* Show, there will be a central theatre, fashion shows, cooking demonstrations, celebrity appearances, live radio broadcast, book store a whole lot more.

By visiting you will…
be able to choose from the largest selection of ethical products available anywhere in the UK.
meet the country’s top designers, chefs and personalities who are embracing the new ethical lifestyle.
find out which brands deliver the best choice, quality and price…without compromising your values.
participate in live discussion and debate on the real issues that matter most.
experience the latest technology and innovation - a taste of things to come.
try or buy from four zones - Home & Garden, Fashion & Beauty, Food & Drink and Travel & Transport.
find out about organic clothing, how to recycle your old mobile, ethical investments and much, much more at the Mad* Show.

Discover new ways to make a difference.
It’s your choice…Make it.

Ode is an independent magazine about the people and ideas that are changing the world.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to see beyond the war, poverty, exploitation and pollution that the mainstream media use to fill our view of the world. But there is more to life. There are other stories to report. Stories of countless initiatives being launched around the globe by people devoted to justice, respect and equality. Stories that bridge the gap between thinking and doing, between rage and hope, and the painful gap between the rich and poor – and thus build peace and sustainability. That is the news that Ode promises to deliver. By reading Ode you connect to a network of positive change and inspiration. Ode points the way to knowing better, doing better and feeling better.

Ode publishes ‘the stories that are different from the ones we are brainwashed to believe’ (Arundhati Roy). Ode challenges us and invites us to change. We realise that change starts with information. We can only make a choice to change things for the better when we learn how it can be done. Similarly, we can only change our behaviour when we understand the harmful effects of what we do. Ode teaches and inspires us, helps us see how every one of us can contribute to a more just and sustainable world. “

Each year Ode honours the top organic companies and products that are helping to make the world a cleaner, more sustainable and healthier place. They announced the Organic Top 40 (which our friends glo4life were mentioned in!) which is a list of friendly products that don’t pose chemical threats to our bodies.

Ode is published monthly in English, Dutch and Portuguese - and you can subscribe for $59/1 year ($105/2 year)

SWOPEX is the UK’s fastest growing through-the-post swopping community. It’s like everyone putting their unwatched and unplayed DVDs and Games in a great big pile and being able to take out as many as you put in. It’s much cheaper than buying, renting or auctioning, there are thousands of DVDs and Games to choose from and membership is FREE!

check out the website www.swopex.com or even better click on the link in the right-hand column for special offers for [m.i.] readers only! (promo-code RECYCLEDISC)

swopex is a great concept that as well as being great value for money…
“I came up with it after trying to sell some DVDs on eBay. It took me ages to list an item for sale and the fees you have to pay to eBay are not only high but also quite complicated. What’s more, when I bought DVDs from other people I was being charged £2 for postage and packaging, when in fact it only costs 64p to post a DVD. the question I asked myself was ‘could I do this more simply?’ I came up with the idea of ’swopping’, in which users swap DVDs multilaterally and not bilaterally.” (Simon Miller, Swopex founder).

it also helps in an eco-friendly kind of way…
“it addresses the question of what to do with endless DVDs and games that aren’t watched or played. we all like to build large collections of films and games but all we are doing is wasting plastic. together, we have the biggest video library in the world, if we can only find a way of getting it to each other. that is what SWOPEX does.”

and if you’re still not sure, then swopex offer a swop guarantee…to protect it’s members against the possibility of receiving unplayable or counterfeit goods!

membership is FREE, and all you pay is just 99p every time you request a DVD or GAME that has been offered for a swop, and the p&p (64p according to swopex).

the plan is to add books and CDs to the mix in the near future…just leaves the question - what can I do with that stack of videos and tapes (remember them?) I’ve got cluttering up the place?

(extracts taken from the Swopex website and Lymington Times article)

There’s a new shop in Castle Arcade, Cardiff - Oyster - which sells fair trade and organic clothing.

They stock the likes of Chandni Chowk, Glo4Life, The Hemp Trading Company, howies, Hug, Sativa and Silverchilli - so there’s plenty of choice for both men and women - as well as your T-shirts there’s jeans, trousers, skirts, dresses, bags and jewellery.

With constantly fresh stock it’s well worth a visit, and the owners are always happy for a chat and to pass on their vast knowledge of fairtrade in relation to each individual product they sell.

They are members of the British Association of Fair Trade Clothes (BAFTS) which is a network of independent fair trade shops across the UK - they promote fair trade retailing in the UK, seek to raise the profile of fair trade on the High Street and provide a point of contact and communication for the exchange of ideas amongst their members.

They are also ‘Friends of New Consumer’ (see New Cosnumer article below), which puts them in good company!

Here is your chance to vote in what you believe in! - The Observer Ethical Awards 2006 in association with Ecover are currently waiting for you to vote for your favourite ethical retailer and campaigner of the year.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/ethicalawards

There are six different categories, design and innovation, architecture, inspiring campaigners (including a junior section), retailer of the year and a DIY award!

Idea’s of what to vote for range from Jamie Oliver, Bob Geldof, Make Poverty History Campaign, The Co-op, Green Baby and Traidcraft, just to name but a few!

The search is now officially on and in short, they are looking for the ethical best in each class. They need your suggestions and votes and you could win a weekend for two in Brussels or an Ecover hamper - go on get voting!

(Source: The Observer 12/02/2006)

New Consumer magazine - the UK’s only Fair Trade and ethical lifestyle magazine!

“New Consumer believes in the power of the consumer to change the world for the better. We’ve shopped our way into this mess, and through making better consumer choices, we can shop our way out!” In the magazine you’ll find plenty of information on ethical companies, products and living - as well as being able to read from the people who benefit directly from fair trade.

“We believe that fashion should be ethical, not ethics fashionable but you don’t have to compromise your lifestyle to live ethically.”

New Consumer is a social enterprise which is helping to push the fair trade movement throughout the world and to challenge people’s buying decisions whilst hilighting ethical alternatives.

“Together, we can start to change the world.”

You can subscribe from here (you can get New Consumer magazine delivered direct to your door six times a year, for only £15!).

Or why not check out the website where you can keep up to date with latest fair trade news and buy fair trade products from the shop…

Nestle are doing it with fairtrade coffee…and by doing so they opened up a whole big debate on whether these multi-nationals are simply jumping on the fairtrade bandwagon!

So will Marks & Spencers get away with it?
They have openly admitted that it is highly unlikely they will convert all cotton production to fairtrade…but why not? They have proven to themselves that they are able to source fairtrade cotton in sufficient quantities to launch a range of T-shirts and socks in 40 of their stores (compared to the small brands who are pioneering this industry, that is a lot of T-shirts and socks!)…BUT it is only with the support of brands using the fairtrade cotton that supply will be increased and lives will be improved.

So if Marks & Spencers were serious about this, they could convert wholly to fairtrade cotton (Patagonia converted to organic cotton in one big push) which would place the demand on the suppliers, production would increase and the lives of the farmers and producers would be massively improved!

Perhaps Stuart Rose of Marks & Spencers should read Yvon Chouniard’s book - Let My People Go Surfing…Stu, all you have to do is click on the link in the right hand column!

Would love to hear your thoughts on this…

read full story from the bbc