Food News, with Amanda Killelea

GENETICALLY-MODIFIED food, farmers abandoning sheep, BSE and pesticides have all made food the hot issue of the moment.

Shoppers are angry and confused, not knowing if the food they are putting on their family's table is doing more harm than good.

Now Friends of the Earth, the UK's leading environmental pressure group, has launched a campaign to inform people and help them choose food they can trust.

The Real Food campaign is urging shoppers across the country to let the Government and supermarkets know what they think about the food on offer.

It is easy to get confused with all the terms being used, such as organic, GM foods, intensive farming and antibiotics.

But Friends of the Earth are urging people to do one simple thing to improve the food in their fridges and support farmers - buy locally.

Today even a simple meal has travelled the globe before it arrives on your dinner plate - potatoes from Egypt, apples from New Zealand, and beans from Kenya. Most of the time we have no idea how the food we eat is produced or what it may have done to the environment it was grown in.

But if food is bought locally it is often easier to find out about its history and make sure it is real food - free from genetically modified ingredients and toxic residues, food from real farms, not factories.

Often shoppers are put off from buying GM-free food and organic produce by the prices in supermarkets.

But Real Food needn't cost the earth and it is sitting right on our doorsteps in East Lancashire.

There are dozens of farmers who produce good food locally. You only need to visit the market at Clitheroe Auction Mart on a Wednesday to see a wide range of local produce, from cheese and meat to fruit and vegetables.

Ramsbottom Organics, in Bridge Street, Ramsbottom, offers totally organic food.

Chris Johnson has created the North West's first totally organic supermarket where you can buy everything from basics like bread and milk to chocolate, cereal and even dog food.

And if you want to go the whole hog and really know what you are eating, how about growing food in your own garden or allotment?

This is a fun way for children to learn about food and it's a great way of guaranteeing yourself fresh food, grown organically with fewer chemicals.

Friends of the Earth also recommend local vegetable delivery schemes and other home delivery services.

Vegetable boxes are usually organic and contain seasonal, locally-grown and freshly-picked vegetables.

They are usually delivered to your door on a weekly basis.

For details of your nearest scheme call the Soil Association on 0117 929 0661.

For a copy of Friends of the Earth's easy-to-read factsheets on organic food, GM foods, local foods, antibiotics and intensive farming methods call 0171 490 1555 or e-mail info@foe.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.