Where does your food come from? (Don’t say ‘the supermarket’!)

February 04, 2010  

Sitting down last night after a hard day’s work, I started to gaze vacantly at the television in my usual way (when I know that there will be nothing half-decent to watch on during the evening) when an extremely interesting programme on BBC One suddenly awakened my attention. Entitled ‘Crop to Shop’, the programme was presented by Suffolk-based pig farmer Jimmy Doherty, and explored the global logistics that bring fresh food from around the world to local supermarkets, revealing the science that keeps food fresh for weeks.

Far from the usual patronising consumer documentaries that you see television broadcasters churning out reminding us to be more environmentally friendly or telling us how to raise our children, this factual hour-long programme was lively and informative, taking the viewer on a global tour investigating the technology, organisation and importance of our food supply chains. It also explored the reasons why the sustainability of food produced by farmers in countries such as Egypt or Africa are often overlooked, and how consumers in the UK are sometimes unaware of the impact their purchase has on the livelihood of many poorer communities around the world.

Despite the advantages that Doherty initially advocated about local farming, it was clear that he was impressed by the skills and science behind one of the most essential parts of logistics. At one point, he made an attempt to demonstrate the production methods used in a factory to hand-cut fresh pineapple to get it shipped as quickly as possible, although his lack of skill did not distract from the deft African factory workers who were standing behind him watching in amusement.

I liked the programme because it did not chastise the consumers or food producers that import and export fruit and vegetables from far-flung places to satisfy the hungry thousands in this country, rather it tried to educate the viewer and help to instil a sense of appreciation about what is often taken for granted. Jamie Oliver’s childhood friend has hopefully helped a wider audience understand what is involved when they pick up a pack of pineapple or eat a new potato from Egypt for dinner in the winter. Now, what’s on the menu tonight… grilled halibut followed by fruit salad with pineapple perhaps?