From the region – for the region
Why are more and more people convinced by products of local origin?
What are the advantages of buying local products?
Is food that is produced without artificial flavours and additives really tasty?
Is sustainable food production a chance for the future?
These were the questions for which we wanted to find some answers when we visited the eco bakery BeckaBeck on the Swabian Alb in Römerstein, a small village with agricultural background.
A growing world population faces the challenge to produce food for everyone. Additional to this problem the dimension of fertile soil is decreasing. The solution seems to be easy: more fertilizers, more pesticides, new types of crops, genetically modified plants and animals …
As the results from the last 50 years show this will not work out. The demand for food, especially for meat is increasing too fast, especially in the developed countries.
Farmers all over the world became dependent on multinational companies such as Monsanto. These companies did not only sell the GM seeds but also the pesticides which would kill all plants except the ones produced by Monsanto. The farmers didn’t stand a chance to get away from these companies as the pesticides stayed for a long time in the soil.
Small initiatives of local companies started projects that were making them independent from the big companies by working together as regional groups. They focused on bio or eco products produced in a sustainable way. Local farmers got involved, too. They have now contracts for several years with guaranteed prices for their products. Meanwhile the companies have created a network that covers all the necessities of everyday life. This means that there are many working places for local people and the money stays in the region. And the consumer knows exactly where and how his food and all the other products are produced.
We got the chance to taste some of the products of the group that is called “echt Alb” – and we were totally convinced of the concept afterwards. The products may be a bit more expensive but the taste is more typical – not the indifferent taste you can find in some of the globally known products. And knowing that the food and all the other products were produced without chemicals and under fair conditions for the workers gives you a good feeling as well.
In "echtALB" products, most of the added value remains in the region and strengthens regional producers structures. The natural resources and the cultural landscape will be protected. The label can only be used if 90% of the ingredients originate from the region.
So there is still the question how to make ends meet…
There will be not enough food for all people living in the world if we want to live as we do now. We have to take into consideration that the meat consumption in the developed countries is way too high and that we will not have enough space for the meat production. Sustainable food production is a must as we have to protect the environment and to stabilize biodiversity in order to have enough food for future generations. We have to cut back the meat consumption for environmental and for health reasons.
This is perfectly shown in the double food pyramid
Source:
We have to realize that we are a part of the nature and that we cannot live outside the rules of nature. Limited resources will not allow unlimited growth!