The Royal Highland Show - Give Us Our Daily Bread
Today I was helping to launch the Church of Scotland's latest report on the the importance of food and how we cultivate and produce it. This particular report entitled " Give us this day our daily bread", highlights what the writers call the alienation of many who live in urban areas from the source of food production.
The increasing development of industrialised farming and the ever growing influence of supermarkets means that many people are so removed from not only the process of food production but also from the land itself that we have lost the awe and wonder that comes from being close to the soil. Food is a gift from God and the soil is also part of that gift. how we use the gift is an essential key to helping to change communities and lifestyles.
Vast areas of farm land have no communities attached to them anymore. The crofters association draw attention to this increasing depopulation of rural communities and refer to it as the "silent clearances". The Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council are urging congregations to get involved with the way food is produced. The report encourages members and friends to buy their food from local producers and working with local projects and farmers.
The Special Commission on the Purpose of Economic Activity, encourages congregations to get involved with Credit Unions. Adrain Shaw of the Church and Society Research Team is urging congregations to see how Credit Unions can link in with crofters to buy locally grown food.
While it gained for most of the day we were entertained to a wonderful lunch by the President of the Royal Highland Show I'm just a bit disappointed that I didn't see more of the show, however it gives me an excuse to pay a second visit.
Posted By: Helmut On: 22 Jun 2012 At: 8:59am
Add to this the infuriating fact that many farmers worldwide nowadays are technically or legally condemned to buy seed rather than collect and keep it the traditional way. Just imagine some sort of winddown (not to speak of breakdown) of world commerce and traffic - and a good portion of the world’s farmers without proper seedstuff. It reminds me of the Israeli satirist Ephraim Kishon - in one of his stories the state decides to tax breathing, arguing that you were free to stop breathing, so what.