The report reckons that one thing the recession has made us more aware of is that organic is, frankly, a bit of a rip off and more savvy people are scouting for fresh, local produce, supporting local businesses and putting their hard earneds back into their communities.
Kerching! Here's a new year's opportunity, entrepreneurs. The report recommends the creation of an online place for suppliers, buyers, producers and retailers to engage (chat, poke, like) directly as well as 10-20 new street markets for Greater London to act as (jargon alert) "local food beacons". Good news for our mega wholesaler, New Covent Garden Market, which is keen on and key in improving the take up of local and regional produce.
There's a growing sense that people care more about food, where it comes from and that it shouldn't be wasted. The incredible feast of the 5,000 in Trafalgar Square before Christmas celebrated the bounty of supermarket rejected fruit and veg and the resourcefulness of freegans. Awareness of how much food we waste is growing and more councils are implementing food waste collections. The decision to turn neglected building sites into city farms and allotments was lauded and it's good news that Olympic grub will be as local as possible, although it's a shame the site will be dominated by MacDonalds.
This traditional month of austerity and abstention is the ideal time to try spurning your supermarket and visiting your local markets and grocers, even if you're not ready to start skipping just yet.
