Fix the Food Chain Film

Friends of the Earth in Bury are promoting a campaign called ‘Fix the Food’ and we had a chat with Lynn Leyland-Mather from FoE about the need for more local shops to get involved in the campaign.

Tell us a bit about the campaign?

The Fix the Food Chain campaign by Friends of the Earth national is mainly concerned with the impact of intensively reared meat and dairy on the environment and in particular greenhouse gas emissions. Rainforests in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina are being destroyed to grow soy to feed factory farmed animals in Europe. Through the CAP scheme £750 million of English tax payers money is spent on intensive livestock production. FoE wants that money to go to help smaller farms that are farming in a more planet friendly way.

Bury FoE has been campaigning on those issues but the food chain is acomplex web and we wanted to look at it more locally, and at the same time extend the idea by promoting reducing food miles.

How can we help?

At Bury FoE we wanted encourage the use of small shops and especially locally produced food. I live in Ramsbottom and thought it would be an ideal place to promote. We have thought of having a ‘Food Trail’ with posters in shops saying ‘Food Smiles, not Miles’. We’re also working alongside local businesses to produce a film about the campaign.

Tell us about the film?

Well we’re producing a short film about shopping and eating locally in Ramsbottom in support of the Food Chain campaign. The Chocolate Café and Ramsons plus some stalls on the farmers’ Market have already expressed their support but we need more to come on board.

Where will the film be shown?

We intend to show the film at any events we attend where we are campaigning about food miles. We will also promote the film online and via all social networks. Local shops could also use the film if they wanted.

What do you hope to achieve from the campaign?

We aim to encourage people to shop locally at businesses that use local produce and thus reduce the air miles used to transport the food.

So if any business wants to get involved what do they need to do?

Any shops or producers of food that want to get involved can email Alex Pearson on lexp72@yahoo.co.uk or Lynn Leyland Mather on leylandlynn@phonecoop.coop Their input can be minimal -just giving us permission to film and say what they sell or they can speak on the film themselves.

Click for more info on FoE in Bury