Off The Shelf #13: Slothy's Summary

Rounding up the highlights from this project so far so we've got it all neat and tidy in one place.

It’s hard to believe that Off The Shelf is 3 months old. I’ve been churning out sustainable food stories and stats every week for 12 weeks now. I hope you’ve found it interesting. I’ve certainly learnt a lot, and often been surprised by what I’ve found.

It’s been a pleasure engaging with you all, and I’ve received some great feedback from far and wide, so thank you for that. I’ve also been lucky enough to have a large number of new subscribers join the journey in the last few weeks, so a warm welcome to you all!

I thought for this week, for everyone’s benefit, I’d summarise the key things I’ve learnt since starting this project, to keep a kind of running commentary. Looking back, it’s really been a journey since we first asked what a sustainable food system actually involves.

I’m looking forward to the next 12 weeks and beyond, and I hope that together we can continue to refine our understanding of what’s working well, and not so well, in our food system. Crucially, I’m excited about uncovering more of what we can do as consumers to effect a more sustainable food future.

---

BEFORE WE GET ONTO THE PEARLS OF WISDOM…

I’d like to ask a favour from you all (no, I’m not ‘going paid’, put your wallets away).

It’s a huge source of motivation for me to know that this is being read and well-received on a weekly basis: as this publication reaches more and more people, it gives me confidence that these issues really are close to people’s hearts and that this is worthwhile.

Therefore, can I please ask you to consider doing one of three things:

1. If you haven’t already subscribed, please do so. This means that you’ll never miss an issue, as sometimes the social media versions of the newsletter can get lost in the mysterious ‘algorithm’ and never reach you.

2. If you know somebody who’d be interested in reading this, please share it with them and encourage them to subscribe. It would be amazing if we could all do this just once - that could double the size of the Off The Shelf community in one go!

3. Most importantly, I write this for everyone, not just myself - so if there’s a topic you’d like to see covered (nothing is off-limits), please let me know, either by replying direct or posting in the comments below. If there’s an area I’ve already touched on and you’d like a deeper dive into it, let me know that too.

---

OK, VIOLIN AWAY, APPEAL OVER. SO WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS?

🚜 A sustainable food system isn’t just about saving the environment: food security, health and nutrition come into it too.

🗑 Food waste is a MASSIVE problem, accounting for about 6% of greenhouse gas emissions. But we as consumers can do a huge amount to tackle the problem.

🌊 Cultivation of seaweed is a win-win for the environment - it produces sustainable food, and sucks up carbon in the process. The ocean farming industry is thriving.

🥩 Meat production and consumption is a huge burden on the planet, but some meats are more sustainable than others, and it varies by geography: I don’t think we should cut meat out of our diets completely, but I do think we could eat less of it, look at alternatives to beef and make sure we’re buying high quality produce.

🍼 The baby formula shortage in the US showed us that supply chains are fragile, and we shouldn’t take our food for granted.

🍽 I got robbed in Paris, but my main memory from that evening was how amazing the restaurant where it happened was. This highlighted the power of a good dining experience in helping to shape perspective.

✍️ The UK government released its food strategy - but it isn’t really as bold and transformative as it could be.

📈 Food inflation is rampant everywhere: a combination of weather events, high energy costs and the war in Ukraine. It’s hitting the poor worst, given they have less disposable income and everybody still has to eat. There is great work being done in the UK by food banks, but this doesn’t solve the problem.

🐖 85% of pigs across the EU are raised in tiny stalls, under terrible conditions. Many of these pigs eventually become premium ham, lots of which makes it onto our supermarket shelves. Consider the provenance of this stuff before you buy.

🥛 The alternative dairy market is growing massively, offering a planet-friendly option for your breakfast cereal. But some alt-milks are more sustainable than others, and it depends which metrics you look at. Something to be aware of next time you’re weighing up oat or almond at the coffee shop.

🔥 Having a barbecue? Charcoal production accounts for somewhere between 2% and 7% of greenhouse gas emissions. Think about where your fuel is coming from, and how it’s produced: in the UK, we have a sustainable woodland management system, so you can’t go wrong buying British. And don’t get the instant-light stuff!

---

What’s been your favourite instalment? Which topics would you like to see covered in future? Let me know.

---

HOW CAN WE STAY IN TOUCH?

📸 I’m on Instagram where I chronicle my cooking @slothychef

👤 Same deal for Facebook Slothy Chef

📧 Drop me a note at info@slothychef.co.uk

---

GROWING OUR COMMUNITY

I’ve got big ideas about building a community around this subject. I hope you can get involved. It would mean so much to me if you could share across your networks using the button below.