Local Products

"Food Miles" is a big topic at the moment and, at last, we are beginning to build "distance travelled" into our purchasing decisions. Did you see the tv programme where two families were sent to buy similar meal menus? One bought the ingredients from their local supermarket; this was cheaper but the food had travelled thousands of miles. The other family expended time and trouble finding ingredients locally and saved many food miles! Not surprising because we do not cost the environmental effect of travel into our purchasing decisions properly. It does not take much effort to seek out food items that are local, especially when the foods are in season.

I have just read a fascinating book about the large supermarkets and their influence on all of us. It makes a fascinating read, "Not On The Label" by Felicity Lawrence, published by Penguin in 2004. The front cover recommendation reads "I can't remember when a book made me more angry. Lawrence's book should be compulsory reading ... Nothing is what it says on the packet" Allison Pearson, Evening Standard. Personally I think we have to try and understand the pressures on the supermarkets and their employees in order to better understand the problem and then, hopefully, do something about it!

It becomes much more difficult to take distance travelled into consideration when it comes to other products, however because locally produced items are so often more expensive. That is why we try, where possible, to ensure that goods locally produced are shipped straight to you, the customer's door. Examples are our Cardboard Pod Toys on http://www.yourtomorrow.co.uk/product/14/137.php or the Jigsaw Maps on http://www.yourtomorrow.co.uk/product/14/83.php. These are made in the UK and shipped straight to your door, so saving energy and cost in shipping all around the world. That is why "Local" is another Eco Icon on http://www.yourtomorrow.co.uk/.