Valuing our food
 

As we celebrate Harvest at St James and in churches across the country, we thank God for providing us with food, remembering those who produce it and those who do not have enough.  We might also want to pray into some of the reasons for rising food prices, including climate change.  In August British farmers warned that crops of broccoli, cauliflower and other brassicas were being adversely affected by the hot weather.  Meanwhile, the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), an independent think tank, is now warning that the UK is on course to see its sixth or seventh worst harvest since records began 40 years ago. 

Globally, foods such as bananas, avocados, olives, coffee and chocolate have all been affected by unpredictable weather conditions.  In Sierra Leone, for example, extreme rainfall causes devastating floods that wash away crops, start landslides and destroy the roads to market.  In the dry season, scorching heat sparks drought that withers plants.  Even experienced farmers are struggling to cope.  In Syria the worst drought in 36 years has slashed wheat harvests by 40% and is pushing a country - where nearly 90% of the population already lives in poverty - to the brink of a wider food crisis.

All this, and yet one third of all food produced across the globe is wasted.  If it were a country, this food waste would be the third highest producer of greenhouse gases in the world.  So, what can we do practically?  As I last talked about food waster in April 2023, here are a few reminders about things you may already do, or intend to do, but I repeat them in recognition that I’m not perfect myself!

• Try not to waste food by cooking only what we need and using up leftovers
• Try to eat less meat and more plants: I like using up vegetables by making soup
• Try to eat as seasonally as possible and buy local or Fairtrade items
• Try to plan meals as much as possible – this also saves moneyFor lots more information, have a look at: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ or https://www.wrap.ngo/

Eternal God, you crown the year with your goodness
And you give us the fruits of the earth in their season:
Grant that we may use them to your glory,
For the relief of those in need and for our own well-being;
Through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
Who is alive and reigns with you,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, now and for ever. Amen.