14 Food security
People in Dumbarton and West Dunbartonshire may grow food for fun in the garden or allotment, but in order to live, we buy what we need in shops or supermarkets. We notice when some of our favourites are not available, and we may notice if the price goes up significantly, but otherwise the story of what appears on our table is largely unknown to us. The chances are that the ingredients of one day’s menu will encompass the globe (well they don’t grown tea and coffee in Clydebank, or oranges in Renton). So climate change in Africa or South America is something that can directly impact what comes to our table. If the harvest fails in one place because of drought or flooding, the chances are that international businesses will be able to access something similar from another market – albeit that the quality and price may be slightly different. But what about the farmer whose harvest failed? They miss out on income (which affects access to healthcare, education etc – things we are used to getting for free), and may well run short on food for their own table
Lord, we tend not to think about where our food comes from, the people in the long chain that brings it too our table, or the impact of things like climate change, over-fishing, cutting down the rain forests to grow cash crops etc. We are part of an inter-connected world. What happens in Africa or South America affects us too – but usually much less than it affects the people there. So often we think about ourselves and now, not the availability of food for generations still to come. Help us to think more about the issues around food. Inspire decision-makers in government and business to focus on people and future sustainability, rather than immediate profit
PS Dunnet Head lighthouse and Orkney
