We all need to eat, but who thinks about what they eat and how it will affect the environment? Luckily, there are some people who do.
Join Manchester Friends of the Earth [1] at the People’s History Museum [2] on Saturday 4th September between 2.00 and 4.00pm to celebrate the launch of the Manchester Real Food Guide website [3].
Learn about the issues around environmentally friendly food and where to find it in the Manchester area. Where can you get advice on growing your own food? When are the Farmers Markets? Where can you be sure of a Fairtrade cup of tea or an organic one? And find out how you can make a difference.
Ali Abbas from Manchester Friends of the Earth said: “The aim of the Real Food Guide is to help people find out about what we think ‘real food’ is – locally sourced, organic, fair trade and GM-free – and why it’s better for people’s health, the environment and local communities.” [4]
The event complements the exhibition From Butties to Bhajis – working people’s food in Great Britain, which is currently on show at the museum until 5th December 2004. It offers visitors the chance to learn about food from the past and how what we eat has changed.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[1] Manchester Friends of the Earth is a prominent pressure group, raising awareness and lobbying for policy changes at a local, regional, national and international level. The group consists entirely of volunteers, and its campaigns are funded by membership fees and individual donations. Up-to-date information is available on their website: https://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk. Manchester Friends of the Earth is part of a national network of local groups, affiliated to the national organisation (further information can be found at http://www.foe.co.uk).
[2] The People’s History Museum is located on Bridge Street, and is open from Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from 11.00am to 4.30pm. Entrance to the museum is £1.00 for waged visitors and free for children and concessions. On Fridays the museum is free to everyone. For further information, please contact Annette Cobley on 0161 839 6061 or annettec@peopleshistorymuseum.org.uk.
[3] The Manchester Real Food Guide website is at http://www.realfoodguide.org.uk.
[4] Did you know that if you bought your Sunday lunch from a supermarket it could have travelled more than 26,000 miles?
It might appear cheaper, but the packaging alone costs the average household £470 a year – almost a sixth of their food expenditure.
Manchester Friends of the Earth believe that the greatest cost supermarkets don’t tell us about is the cost to the community: eight local independent stores closed each day between 1986 and 1996.
Did you know Friends of the Earth found that organic food in farmers’ markets is 33-37% cheaper than the supermarket equivalent?
