Can organic farming feed the world?
It’s too early to tell, says colin tudge. BUT we ought to give it our best shot On a recent Farming Today This Week on Radio 4 a Shropshire farmer who among other things grows wheat, declared that organic farming is “never going to feed the world”. And this view is clearly shared by many … Read more
Getting the British Pulse Racing Again
It is exciting to see the revival of ancient pulses, which we were in danger of losing altogether. One strong factor that works in favour of a resurgence in popularity is the general trend towards eating less meat. There are certainly many recipes to choose from.
Webinar no. 2: The absolute importance of peas and beans
Colin Tudge talks to JOSIAH MELDRUM and NICK SALTMARSH, co-founders of HODMEDODS, and arch developers and promoteRS of pulses. Pulses have long been key players in agriculture and the human diet and in almost all the world’s cuisines – fixing nitrogen, rich in protein, and the basis of some of the world’s most popular and … Read more
Farmer Starmer
The Labour Leader has shown some encouraging interest in farming of late. But, says Colin Tudge, none of the mainstream parties in the UK takes agriculture seriously enough and none has an agricultural strategy that comes close to meeting our own and the world’s real needs It was good to see Keir Starmer interviewed in … Read more
Eating for Pleasure
As someone who lives to eat rather than the other way around, I am rather shocked by the rapid rise in serious eating disorders. Summer presents numerous opportunities for making a meal an occasion to remember so lets enjoy them!
Endangered Foods
Many “endangered” foods are still being grown in people’s gardens, however the commercial sources have become extremely scarce. The summer months provide an abundance of examples.
Hospitality
Barbequing is the one form of entertaining that seems to be growing in popularity rather than declining. Hospitality seems to come less naturally to us than the Greeks. But can you learn to be a good host?
The philosophy of technology
Phil of Tech asks what technology is: what it is for; and – as ever – who should be in control of it, and who or what is affected by it. We need to ask indeed, as E F Schumacher did in Small is Beautiful in the early 1970s, what technology is appropriate. As always, … Read more
From story book to cloud cuckoo land one easy step
George Monbiot’s plan for a world without agriculture is misguided, says Colin Tudge George Monbiot has a three-point plan to feed us all well and look after the wildlife and generally solve all the world’s problems — a somewhat unlikely amalgam of veganism, re-wilding, and high tech, producing ersatz meat from microbes raised in “compact … Read more
Should we all turn vegetarian?
Perhaps in a perfect world we should all be vegetarian – or indeed vegan. But, says Colin Tudge, this isn’t a perfect world and a low-meat diet served by agroecological farming is probably the best that we should aim for Rumour has it that Oxford City Council, following the County Council’s lead of two years … Read more