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Are you pining for some overseas adventure?

Ali Fryer-Bovill, Teacher of English at WHS, and her family Bov, Darcey and Freddie invite you to a special, travel-inspired WimTeach this week: around the World in 7 menus. Tuck in…

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Quite so, Mark Twain. And how difficult it is for many of us now, who hanker very deeply for positive glimpses of unknown places, to breathe in that feeling that you are doing something far away, for the very first time.

In an attempt to alleviate the sadness caused by our cancelled trip to a Sri Lankan wedding last Easter, Darcey and Freddie set about creating an indoor plane in our sitting room. It featured ‘comfy seats’ in rows with bottles of pop and electronic devices strewn. ‘Beep!!’ they would shout, and dutifully their parents would rush down the ‘aisle’ to answer their every need. ‘Please can I have some sweets?’ or ‘Please can you fluff up my cushions and sort out my blankets while I go to the toilet?’ and even, ‘Please can you give me my menu choices?’

Yup. Choices.

All the treats of travel that begin with choices on the plane – before in fact, when choosing what to pack – which dresses or books you can squeeze in without going over your limit, what new things you (don’t) need in your washbag; everything carefully considered and nothing taken for granted.

And this, when we realised how many small things we each missed about our travels, is when our idea of ‘Around the World in 7 menus’ was born.

We took it in turns to choose our countries. Me: ‘Sri Lanka…’ Darcey: ‘Err.. Spain!’ Fred: ‘Italy!!!’ Bov: ‘Hmm. Peru.’ etc. until we had filled up our first week. The children, using little scraps of paper and a giant stapler, created ‘passports’ and honourably filled in pages of flags and facts in endless styles of bubble writing. And I embarked upon menu-collating, from old friends and family, to see what sort of shopping list I needed to create for my now-much-cherished-once-a-week adventure in a car, to the supermarket.

The most interesting thing to me, as the main cook in our house, was that shopping in this way – collecting unusual items and very specific ingredients – did not add complication or brain-ache to my life. Quite the opposite, in fact. The first time we did it, I did not find myself at 6pm on Thursday with that all too familiar…’oh! Let’s have a look at what we’ll have tonight. Err… an aubergine… some old mushrooms… a bit of out-of-date crème fraiche… ahhh! Leeks! AND… oh. A black pudding.’ Yuck, frankly. Every Thursday the same – just different combinations of yuck.

But no more! Thursday evening would be… ‘let me see – ahh! Thailand!’ and the lemon grass, coconut milk and fish sauce would be ready calling, proud to act as the base for something wonderful sent over on a pdf by our local family-run Thai pub.

We have collated several passports of weeks of world tours at different times in various lockdowns, including France, Russia, Tanzania, France, Sweden, France… (what it is about France that makes you keep on needing to return to its food?) I feel we are keeping our curiosity for new places alive through bringing some of them into our home – as, not wanting to labour the point – what choices do we currently have?

I will now share with you 4 items towards a week of ‘Around the World in 7 menus’: 2 vegetarian, 1 seafood, and 1 meat.

1st stop: Hill Country, Sri Lanka

 

Shani’s dhal: packed with flavour and utterly comforting, this dish was a staple of the Fryer family (4 generations of doctors/ and later tea planters in Madulkele) and something Darcey and Fred will eat for breakfast (if I haven’t got there first). And they claim to have seen me eat it straight out of the pan (blooming fantasists).

Music to accompany: A collection of Sinhala songs and Baila

  • Red lentils – Masoor dal/daal/dhal
  • One red onion
  • Tomato (finely chopped cherry tomatoes add a sweetness)
  • An inch of ginger, a clove or two of garlic
  • A handful of curry leaves
  • A can (or more) of coconut milk
  • Spice powders (turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander, salt)
  • Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds

For the tempering (spicy salsa)

  • More cherry toms, another onion, a clove of garlic and a bit of brown sugar, and same spices

METHOD

Step 1

Start by rinsing the lentils, until the water runs clear.

Step 2

In a pot combine the dal, coconut milk, onion, tomato, spice powders, garlic, salt and bring to boil. Cover and cook until all the fluid has evaporated and the dhal is cooked. If it looks dry at any point, add a slosh of water.

Step 3

Add any spare coconut milk, extra water and simmer. You may need to add more salt to bring out the flavours.

Step 4

We add a tempering (or ‘spicy salsa’ as the kids call it) to the dhal to bring more flavour. Heat a small non-stick pan and add oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chili pieces, chopped cherry toms, sliced onion, brown sugar and garlic. Heat until the toms have melted and it all splutters. Add this caramalised tempering to the dhal.

Enjoy with rice, or chapati, or naan, or pitta, and a very cold beer, or lime juice.

I can hear the Ceylon Hanging Parrots as I type.

2nd stop: Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

Keshia’s mum’s Pol Sambol: another absolute favourite food of mine is ‘Pol Sambol’. I would sprinkle it on virtually anything edible but used to particularly love it smothered over scrambled eggs in Sri Lanka, adding a life-changing punch of sweet, sour and spiciness.

But I have never made a good job of creating it. Believe me I have tried! I think the way I have grated the coconut has been wrong. So I have turned to a culinary mentor within our school community – Nalagini Mahen – to aid me in providing this recipe, and I intend to try it myself next week, to accompany our Friday celebratory breakfast at home of scrambled eggs on toast.

From Keshia: ‘’We had it two nights ago with dosa! Keep in mind the recipe is catered towards people with a high spice tolerance so feel free to lower down some measurements to your liking.’’

  • Grated coconut – 100g (fresh)
  • Dried red chili – 8 to 10 depending how hot you would like it
  • Small onion / Shallots – 5 to 7
  • Curry leaves – 1 stem
  • Ginger- half an inch
  • Lime – As you need
  • Salt – As you need

METHOD

Step 1

In a pan heat half a spoon of ghee or oil and sauté the following ingredients; curry leaves and red chilli but do not deep fry or burn.

Step 2

Take that out and then add shallots and ginger into the pan and toss in the remaining ghee/oil.

Step 3

When this is ready grind sautéed red chilli along with curry leaves and salt in any sort of blender (a food processor is recommended) then empty it.

Step 4

Grab a pestle and mortar. Add shallots and ginger into the mortar and grind until a fine pulp

Step 5

Add in your red chilli mix from the blender. Finally add in your coconut and grind with the pestle and mortar till as fine as you like. Squeeze in a lime or two.

Put in a jar and place in the fridge. Pol Sambol is used like a chutney.

Shani’s Dhal, and Keshia’s mum’s Pol Sambol would go so beautifully together, if anyone is ever stuck for what to give me for my birthday…

3rd stop: Spain

 

Saffi’s Seafood Paella: definite glass in hand cooking this one (Bov’s late wife’s family initiated him into Spanish cooking.) Luxuriate while you watch it bubble and you can actually hear the Catalan rumba calling.

Music to accompany: Paco Pena

 (for a longer playlist)

  • 1L (4 cups) fish stock
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 300g skinless firm white fish fillets, cut into thumb-lengthish pieces
  • 1 chorizo, thinly sliced diagonally
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 long fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 1 small red capsicum, thinly sliced
  • 1 small yellow capsicum, thinly sliced
  • 330g (1 1/2 cups) arborio rice – or any risotto rice alternative
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) white wine
  • 8 large prawns, unpeeled
  • 200g squid tubes, thinly sliced into rings (I buy frozen)
  • 80g (1/2 cup) frozen baby peas
  • One lemon, wedge
  • Chopped fresh continental parsley, to sprinkle

METHOD

Step 1

Bring stock and saffron to the boil in a saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a paella pan or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season fish. Cook, turning, for 2 minutes or until almost cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and cover.

Step 3

Add chorizo and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until brown. Stir in onion, garlic, paprika, chilli and combined capsicum for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Stir in rice for 1 minute. Stir in wine for 1 minute or until wine evaporates.

Step 4

Add stock mixture to pan, reserving 80ml (1/3 cup). Reduce heat to low. Cook, without stirring, for 15 minutes.

Step 5

Push prawns and squid into rice. Add the reserved stock. Cook for 10 minutes. Add fish. Cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed. Sprinkle with peas. Shove lemon wedges in the surface. Cover with foil. Rest for a few minutes and then devour with something crisp, snappy and refreshing.

4th Stop: India

Nazlee’s Tandoori leg of lamb: Another country we find ourselves returning to on our menu tour, with alarming regularity is, of course, India. Here I am going to share a mouth-watering dish from our very own Nazlee Haq, who teaches Maths at WHS.  Like most meat dishes from Asia,  prepare the marinade and allow it to infuse the day before cooking – not only does this aid the fragrances to percolate, but also tenderises the meat.

‘I have made this many, many times and it never fails to please! The key is the marinade, leaving the leg in the marinade overnight and cooking the leg on a long, low heat.’ Nazlee Haq

Music to accompany: Carnatic Music, Fusion music

(Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar)

  • 1 leg of lamb, around 2.5kg

For the marinade:

  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1tsp black peppercorn seeds
  • 250ml yoghurt
  • 1 whole bulb of garlic, peeled and grated (I buy frozen cubes of garlic from the Asian section in big supermarkets, just as good and time saving. Would use three chunks for this recipe)
  • 8cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated (again, you can buy the frozen version. Would use three chunks for this recipe)
  • Juice from 1 lemon (or a few tbsps from a bottle)
  • 1tsp red chilli powder
  • 2tsp salt
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • Generous handful of fresh, chopped coriander

METHOD

Step 1

The day before serving, score the lamb and trim excess fat but leave some as it will cook and keep the lamb juicy.

Step 2

Take the whole spices (cumin, coriander, peppercorn) and gently toast on a frying pan for no more than a minute – you should smell an aroma! Do not let them burn. In an electric grinder (I have a coffee for this) or a pestle and mortar, grind the whole spices. In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients.

Step 3

Put the leg of lamb in the roasting dish/pan and cover with the marinade.  Get stuck in and rub the marinade into the grooves. Cover with clingfilm or foil. Leave in the fridge overnight.

Step 4

The next day, pre heat the oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F. Remove the covering from the roasting pan and add 150ml of water. Cover again with foil, making sure you seal the edges. Place the pan in the oven. Cook for 2¼ hours for lamb that is pink in the middle. I personally cook for at least another hour as like mine well done and at this point the lamb will be so tender it will melt off the bone. For the last 20 minutes of cooking I remove the foil and scoop out some of the juices to make a gravy. I place the lamb back in the oven to let it brown, if needed. If not, let it rest, covered whilst you make your gravy.

When ready, the meat should be very tender. We normally have this with rice, seasoned Greek yoghurt flavoured with chopped mint and coriander (raita) and a simple salad.

And to finish…

Thank you so much to Shani, Nalagini, Saffi and Nazlee for joining us in our home and on our travels around the world, by sharing these amazing family secrets with me, and now allowing me to share them with the whole WHS community.

If anybody does make it ‘around the world in 7 menus’, please do share your discoveries with @WimbledonHigh on social media and perhaps we can make our own bespoke WHS passport of culinary temptations. Or, if you try out any of the above, please send me a photograph, as sharing food with friends and family is something we massively miss, just as we miss our adventures overseas.

Thank you in advance, and safe travels all!

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Linguistica Masterclass – Frau Serafini bäckt Zimtsterne!

As part of our Linguistica Masterclass series, Frau Serafini presented a session on how to bake traditional German cinnamon stars for Christmas. If you were so unlucky as to miss the session, you can watch the recording of the masterclass here and have a go at baking these delicious treats.

Ingredients: 

  • 170g icing sugar (plus plenty of extra for dusting) 
  • 2 Egg whites (medium size eggs) 
  • A pinch of salt 
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 
  • 235g ground almonds (skin on) 

Equipment you will need: 

  • A good size mixing bowl 
  • A couple of smaller bowls 
  • A sieve 
  • A rolling pin 
  • Star-shaped cutters 
  • Baking paper (to line the baking trays) 
  • Clingfilm (for rolling out) OR a board/pastry sheet for rolling out 
  • An electric whisk 
  • A wooden spoon 
  • A knife for spreading 
  • Decorations (optional!) 

Method: 

 

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Chouquettes délicieuses

Alice (Year 12) knows the delight which is this French classic. Now you can have a go yourself at baking these mini delectables.

Chouquettes se traduit vaguement par “petits morceaux de choux”, et ce sont de minuscules petites pâtisseries aérées qui peuvent être mangées comme dessert ou juste pour une collation de l’après-midi. Je leur ai été présentée lors d’un échange français. Nous les avons faites chez mon copain à Paris et je les ai tellement aimées que je les ai souvent faites pour ma famille depuis mon retour.

 Chouquettes loosely translates to “little pieces of cabbage,” and they’re tiny, airy little pastries that can be eaten as dessert or just for an afternoon snack. I was introduced to them during a French exchange. We made them when I was with my friend’s family in Paris and I loved them so much I made them a lot for my family when I got home.

  • 250ml d’eau ​(water)
  • 5 œufs ​(eggs)
  • 20g de sucre en poudre ​sugar Sucre en grains (disponible en grande surface) ​pearl sugar (available in supermarkets)
  • 100g de beurre (butter)
  • 100g de farine de blé ​(Plain flour) 
  • 2 pincées de sel ​(Pinch of salt) 

1)  Préchauffez votre four à 180°C. Dans une casserole, versez l’eau, sucre, beurre et sel puis portez le tout à ébullition. Dès ébullition retirez la casserole du feu et ajoutez aussitôt les 150 g de farine. Mélangez bien le tout énergiquement à l’aide d’une spatule en bois. Remettez sur le feu et mélangez jusqu’à dessèchement : la pâte ne doit plus adhérer à la casserole et former une boule.

Preheat your oven to 180 ° C. In a saucepan, pour the water, sugar, butter and salt, then bring everything to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the 150 g of flour. Mix everything together vigorously using a wooden spatula. Put back on the heat and mix until dry: the dough should no longer adhere to the pan and form a ball.  

2)  Mettez la pâte dans un saladier et ajoutez les œufs battus au fur et à mesure : cette technique permet d’ajouter la bonne quantité d’œufs et de ne pas avoir une pâte à choux trop liquide. Mélangez énergiquement sans cesse jusqu’à l’obtention d’une pâte bien souple. Pour savoir si votre pâte à choux est réussie tracer un sillon dans la pâte avec la spatule, celui-ci doit disparaître. Si ce n’est pas le cas ajoutez un peu d’œuf battu.

Put the dough in a salad bowl and add the beaten eggs as you go: this technique allows you to add the right amount of eggs and not to have a choux pastry that is too liquid. Mix vigorously constantly until you obtain a very supple dough. To know if your choux pastry is successful, make a groove in the dough with the spatula, it must disappear. If this is not the case add a little beaten egg. 

3)  Mettez la pâte à choux dans une poche à douille ou à l’aide d’une petite cuillère (faire des petits tas de pâte équivalents au volume d’une cuillière à café chacun) et dressez les choux sur une plaque à pâtisserie recouverte de papier sulfurisé. Recouvrez chaque chou de sucre en grains.

Put the choux pastry in a pastry bag or with a small spoon (make small piles of dough equivalent to the volume of 1 teaspoon each) and place the choux on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover each pastry ball with pearl sugar. 

4)  Enfournez vos chouquettes à mi-hauteur pendant 20 à 30 min, selon la grosseur des choux. Pour savoir si vos choux sont cuits, regardez leur coloration : ils doivent être bien dorés. N’ouvrez surtout pas le four, si vos choux ne sont pas cuits ils retomberont. 

Bake your chouquettes halfway up for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the chouquettes. To know if your cabbages are cooked, look at their coloring: they must be golden brown. Do not open the oven, if your cabbages are not cooked they will fall. 

Après la cuisson, retirez du four et laissez refroidir ou dégustez tiède !  

After cooking, remove from the oven and let cool or enjoy lukewarm!  

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Großartige Gerichte

Alice (Year 12) has been trying out some classic German recipes. Why not have a go yourself?

Kaiserschmarrn 

(4 Portionen) 

Kaiserschmarrn oder Kaiserschmarren ist ein gesüßter Pfannkuchen, der seinen Namen vom österreichischen Kaiser Franz Joseph I. hat. Er mochte diese Art von flauschigem Pfannkuchen sehr gern. Es ist ein großartiges Gericht, das normalerweise als Dessert oder als leichtes Mittagessen mit Apfelsauce serviert wird.

Kaiserschmarrn or Kaiserschmarren is a sweetened pancake that takes its name from the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. He was very fond of this type of fluffy pancake. It’s a great dish that is usually served as a dessert or a light lunch with apple sauce. 

  • 4 Eier ​Eggs 
  • 125 g Mehl ​Flour 
  • 125 ml Milch ​Milk 
  • 1 Prise Salz ​Pinch of salt 
  • 1 TL Backpulver ​Baking powder (tsp) 
  • 40 g Zucker ​Sugar 
  • 80 g Rosinen (kann übersprungen werden) ​Raisins (can be skipped) 
  • 4 EL Butter ​Butter (tbsp) 
  • 1 EL Puderzucker zum Bestreuen ​Powdered sugar for sprinkling (tbsp)  
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

1)  Eier trennen. Eigelb mit Mehl, Milch, Salz, Backpulver und Zucker zu einem glatten Teig verarbeiten und 10 Min. ruhen lassen.

Separate the eggs. Mix the egg yolks with the flour, milk, salt, baking powder and the sugar into a smooth dough and let rest for 10 minutes.  

 2) Eiweiße zu einem stabilen Eischnee schlagen und vorsichtig unter den Teig heben. Anschließend die Rosinen hinzugeben (wenn du es willst).

Beat egg whites to a peak and carefully fold into the batter. Then add the raisins (if you want)  

3)  2 EL Butter in eine Pfanne geben und bei mittlerer Temperatur einen knusprigen Pfannkuchen braten. Den Pfannkuchen wenden und die restliche Butter hinzufügen. Nach dem backen den Pfannkuchen in Stücke reißen und mit dem Puderzucker bestreuen.

Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and fry a crispy pancake over medium heat. Turn the pancake and add the remaining butter. After baking, tear the pancake into pieces and sprinkle with the powdered sugar.  

Frittatensuppe 

(4 Portionen) 

Traditionell ist Frittatensuppe, eine hausgemachte Rinderbrühe mit dünn geschnittenen Pfannkuchenstreifen, die normalerweise Frittatas heißen. Es ist ein süddeutsches Gericht aus der Region Schwaben und es ist auch in Österreich sehr beliebt. Es ist besonders gut nach einem Tag Skifahren oder Wandern als warme Belohnung.

Traditionally, fried pancake soup is a homemade beef broth with thinly sliced pancake strips, usually known as frittatas. It is a southern German dish from the Swabian region and is also very popular in Austria. It’s especially good as a warm reward after a day of skiing or hiking.  

  • 75g Mehl Flour 
  • 125 ml Milch Milk 
  • 2 Eier Eggs 
  • Salz Salz 
  • Butter Butter 
  • Petersilie Parsley 
  • 1 L suppe (nach wahl) Soup (of your choice) 
Frittatensuppe (pancake soup) – License Images – 178349 ❘ StockFood

1)  Die Eier aufschlagen und verquirlen. Das Mehl, Milch und Salz darunter mischen und gut verrühren. 

Break the eggs and whisk them in a bowl. Mix in the flour, milk and salt and stir well.  

2) In einer Palatschinkenpfanne oder einer anderen flachen Pfanne ein wenig Butter zerlassen und so viel Teig einfließen lassen, dass der Boden dünn bedeckt ist. Etwas anbraten lassen, dann wenden. Auf diese Art 3 bis 4 Frittatenpalatschinken beidseitig schön goldig herausbacken.

Melt a some butter in a pancake pan or other flat pan and pour in enough batter to thinly cover the base. Sear a little, then turn over. In this same way, bake 3 to 4 fried pancakes on both sides until they are nice and golden. 

3)  Die fertigen Frittatenpalatschinken etwas abkühlen lassen, dann einzeln zusammenrollen und in feine Streifen schneiden.

Let the fried pancakes cool down a bit, then roll them up individually and cut into fine strips.  

4)  Für eine Frittatensuppe die Palatschinkenstreifen auf Teller verteilen und mit der Suppe Ihrer Wahl aufgießen. Und Petersilie zum Garnieren hinzufügen.

To finish the soup, distribute the pancake strips on plates and top with the soup of your choice. And add parsley to garnish. (Usually it is made with beef broth, but you can do whatever you want)  

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To what extent can the fruit and vegetable industry in the United Kingdom reduce its carbon dioxide emissions?

Vegetable stall photo by Jack Gavigan 2009

Millie (Year 13) explores issues surrounding food production and climate change.

If we look at the UK today, there has never been a wider range of exotic foods in our supermarkets and restaurants. In Western society, we are now able to access an unprecedented choice of fruits and vegetables. Just a few decades ago, no one could ever have dreamed of picking up a pineapple that was grown thousands of miles away at their local shops. Globalization has given consumers huge choices. But what does this mean for our environment, given current consumer demand in the United Kingdom?

Food and carbon in the UK

The food industry makes up 20% of the UK’s carbon footprint (Carasso et al, 2015), with the fruit and vegetable industries accounting for 10-12.5% of total food-related emissions (Garnett, 2006). This sector emits a small but significant part of our overall carbon dioxide emissions. The average person in the United Kingdom emits 15 tonnes of carbon per year, and this needs to be reduced by at least a third to be on the way to reducing the UK’s carbon footprint (Berners-Lee, 2019).

Food could be one of the ways to do this, as something we consume every day. It is important to consider the whole fruit and vegetable supply chain and where the largest carbon savings can be made. It appears that consumer behaviour is the most important factor, followed by transport, waste, agriculture, technology, energy usage, resources, and finally, processing and packaging. A safe and extensive new food system is needed for the production and distribution of fruits and vegetables and there are so many changes which could be made in each stage of the food system. It will be difficult to achieve a universal solution but making changes in all the different areas in the industry will eventually benefit the environment greatly.

Consumer behaviour

Supermarket
Above: Supermarket by Pixabay

Consumer behaviour is the most important factor in reducing emissions, as it underpins all the other areas of the industry. Consumer demand influences what products are brought to the shelves and the supply chains and processes that are used, so we have the opportunity as citizens to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of this industry. Consumers being aware of the environmental credentials of different food products is key to reducing emissions, as they can then make informed decisions about what fruit and vegetable supply chains they will support. According to Berners-Lee (2010), asparagus contributes to 125g CO2e for a local and seasonal pack but that same pack, flown from Peru to the UK in January, creates a massive 3.5kg CO2e. In this way, by being educated further and choosing more sustainable products, we can change the carbon footprint of this sector. It is difficult to change consumer behaviour, but it links all the factors together, and changing what the customer demands will change what the supermarkets supply. If we all work together, a big reduction in carbon dioxide emissions could be made.

Transport

Transport is one of the key contributors to the overall carbon emissions of the fruit and vegetable industry, and the next most important factor in lowering carbon dioxide emissions. Imports are a huge industry in the UK due to our temperate climate that can only grow a limited variety of crops. As summarized by the EU Fruit and Vegetables Regime: Producer Organisations (2017, p.5.), ‘Fruit and vegetables are by far the greatest source of imports in the UK food system’, making up 25.5%, with 15% of vegetables being imported and 62% of the fruits we consume (Garnett, 2006).

The UK becoming more self-sufficient would reduce the volume of imports needed, reducing transport emissions, so growing more of our own crops would really benefit the environment in most cases. This may require a change in consumer demand, however, to be viable, with the UK’s temperate climate. Reducing plane travel through changes in demand to less perishable goods is also really important, as the most carbon-intensive mode of transport, releasing 4.59kg of carbon dioxide per pound of goods (Berners-Lee, 2010). Increasing shipping and driving from abroad would also be very effective in reducing carbon emissions, despite some exceptions. Retailers could also be encouraged to source their items from places where more environmentally friendly transport methods are used, and this would be another useful way to lower the sector’s carbon footprint. Therefore, transport is really important in this climate battle, and a lot of changes could be made here, although there are challenges.

Food waste
Above: food waste by PickPik

Waste not, want not…

Waste is another really important area in emissions reduction, as currently, one third of the food we produce is wasted (Royte, 2014), creating needless carbon dioxide emissions, and a 50% reduction in food waste could be achieved by 2030 compared to what it was in 2010 (Rothamsted Research, 2016) through various methods. Increasing awareness of waste and how it could be reduced along every stage of the food supply chain is vital, such as the modification of consumer expectation and the sale of fruits and vegetables which would have been wasted, such as the wonky fruits scheme.

Restaurants could also introduce more takeaway boxes, portion size choices and self-service to lower the volume of wasted food. There are many innovative solutions to this waste crisis, such as a new technology based on dynamic pricing created by the organisation Wasteless. Artificial intelligence is used to help retailers sell food that is perishable at the best price when it is near its ‘use-by’ date (Glover et al., 2020). Most shoppers reach to the back of the shelf, getting longer expiration dates so that shorter ones go to waste, according to David Cut, an employee at the company. The shorter expiration date could be made to look more attractive by lowering their price at the right moment to incentivise customers to buy that product over one with a longer expiration date. Therefore, waste is a really important factor in reducing emissions.

Agriculture

Agriculture
Above: Agriculture by SnappyGoat

Agriculture is the next biggest area for emissions to be reduced in this sector. This could be done through better and more efficient land use, using clever planting methods which would allow more food to be grown in the same space. Soil carbon sequestration, taking carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it in the soil, is a very viable and useful way to take carbon out of the air, even though this technology is new and could foster our dependency on greenhouse gases. Methods like this have been cited as necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Amann et al., 2008).

Less deforestation is essential, as out of three and a half tonnes per person per year on average produced by the food we eat, deforestation accounts for two tonnes of it (Tolley, 2019). We need to increase the number of carbon sinks and reduce the volume of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and less deforestation is needed to achieve this. I believe that building sustainable agriculture is key to achieving a reduction in emissions.

The use of technology

The use of technology in agriculture is the next most important way to reduce the carbon footprint of this sector, as it is critical in reducing the damage caused to the environment. Technology, globalization and marketing have changed recent attitudes towards food, as we need to start prioritizing the environment and safety over consumer demands and money. Genetic modification is a very controversial topic and, even though it could improve the environmental credentials of many foods, many people are opposed to it, seeing it as unnatural. According to Buller (2005), there is no long-term data concerning the safety of genetically modified foods, and it is not known how they affect health or the environment long term. However, it could be an incredible way to increase productivity of crops, make them more resistant to disease and different weather conditions, and reduce emissions in this way. Technology is really important in agriculture in the 21st century, as there have been so many scientific advancements in the last 40 years (Rothamsted Research, 2016) and it has many possibilities, but there are always limitations.

Driving efficiency

The energy consumption and efficiency of the food industry is the also really important in making changes to benefit the environment. So much energy is wasted in the production, storage and transport of foods. Protected horticulture requires a lot of energy, so fewer crops should be grown in this way, and instead in their suitable climate, but this may not be possible without food supply chains being changed drastically. For example, the environmental footprint for strawberry production in the UK is approximately 1.2 CO2 equivalent per kilogram whereas it is 0.35 in Spain (Gaillard et al, 2009). This shows that shorter transport distances don’t necessarily mean reduced carbon emissions, as foods could have been grown in hothouses, such as tomatoes in the UK, and actually those flown in from Spain have lower emissions as they grow well in the natural climate there without increased energy emissions.

Also, improvements in the crop growing efficiency of glasshouses would be beneficial, such as with better lighting, excess crops being used as fuel, and reducing machinery usage for less effect on the environment. This would ask a lot of farmers to change their whole lifestyle, but big changes are needed to create big reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing refrigeration efficiency would be very beneficial, with refrigeration used in all parts of the supply chain, but it could be hard to implement nationwide. Renewable energies are the future, and their usage is needed for a sustainable future across the food supply chain. According to Berners-Lee (2010), solar power is the best renewable source with a lot of potential, but it doesn’t currently contribute a lot to energy supplies. Fundamental societal change will be needed but changes in energy efficiency and consumption could reduce emissions greatly.

Use of pesticides and fertilizers

Soil
Above: Soil by PickPik

Resource usage in agriculture is another key factor contributing to the carbon dioxide emissions of this sector, including pesticides and fertilizers. If we use our resources wisely, we can live well and provide a life on this planet for future generations too. We need to use a smaller volume of resources but in a more efficient way to produce crops in a new production-consumption system, according to Rothamsted Research (2016). Fertilizers and pesticides are so useful to produce enough food for the planet, increasing crop yields and reducing the effect of pests so that more products can be sold. However, they are detrimental for the environment in their production and use, and their overuse can lead to pollution, worsening the effects on the environment. Fossil fuels are used to manufacture fertilizer, making up 12% of food’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (Berners-Lee, 2019) and pesticides can greatly harm the environment, impacting directly and indirectly on biodiversity as they kill many pests and other species as well (Murphy-Bokern et al, 2008). Therefore, their usage should be monitored and limited, in my opinion. They could be used with other more carbon-friendly methods, such as the use of manure and biological control, to increase productivity. The use of resources in agricultural production is therefore very important, and they need to be used in moderation.

Packaging

Improving the efficiency of the processing and packaging of fruits and vegetables could reduce emissions in this industry, although there are challenges. This is the method by which the least tonnes of emissions could be saved, but there still could be changes made. Processing food is a great way to greatly increase shelf life, reducing waste and its associated high emissions. Also, packaging provides valuable information and can help food to last longer, so less of it is wasted. Overall, not a lot of modifications could be made here to improve the environmental credentials. However, methods such as consumers bringing their own packaging like Tupperware could make a small difference in emissions for shops. Also, supermarkets could use more carbon friendly packaging. For example, one of the UK’s largest supermarkets, Waitrose, say that they started to reduce packaging in 2009. Karen Graley, who works in packaging at Waitrose said that ‘Within the next five years, we will make all our own brand-packaging widely recycled, reusable or home compostable’ (Duffy, 2019). Small but no substantial differences in emissions could be achieved by processing and packaging.

Above: Grapes in paper bag by PickPik

Final thoughts

If nothing is done, by the end of this century, post global warming, there will be environmental, social and economic degradation. We can avoid a looming food crisis by united actions. All factors need to be considered, especially consumer behaviour, and this can be changed through media and advertising in retailers across the UK. To feed a growing population with nutritious, delicious, low carbon food, there will be many challenges ahead but if everyone, including food policy makers, producers, farmers, retailers and consumers works to influence the others and changes their actions for a more sustainable world, we can restore our relationship with nature and live better than ever. Big differences will need to be made and although there will be many challenges and difficulties, I believe that the carbon dioxide emissions of the fruit and vegetable industry in the United Kingdom can be reduced significantly.

 

References

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