Ethical eating and healthy lifestyle

I know that I might be pushing the boundaries a little here but I figure it’s my blog so I can do what I want, right? I’m going to mention a few links to some worthwhile reading if you’re interested in making healthy and ethical eating choices, which kind of fits under a broad definition of healthcare.

The first is the Ethical Co-op, one of a growing number of organisations who try to provide affordable food to consumers interested in making ethical choices about what they eat. While I was living in the UK, I noticed that most of the “fresh” food available in supermarkets doesn’t originate in England. Rather, it gets flown in from North Africa and Western Europe, which, if it wasn’t heavily subsidised, would end up costing a lot more than it does. This has far-reaching consequences for both local farmers and international consumers (local farmers get screwed because they can’t sell their produce at fair market value and international consumers must either pay high prices for locally produced products, or just can’t get them because they’re immediately exported).

If we buy food that’s locally sourced, we support local farmers who can then offer their products at true market value, we cut down on the carbon cost of our food because it isn’t flown halfway around the world and we can enjoy food that’s fresh and grown without chemicals. It may cost a little more, but sometimes that can be a fair compromise.

Here’s a few links to some interesting blogs on healthy living:

A list of organic markets in or near Cape Town
Organic box schemes in or near Cape Town
Mother city living – living the good (green) life in Cape Town
Wild Organics (scroll down the page a little for 11 reasons to buy organic)
Ethical Co-op blog