Just over a month since getting back to the UK now, and still trying to work out what’s next. Possibly not the ideal time to start looking over the horizon for a new job given the current economic climate, but idealism and reality are not always the most comfortable of bed fellows…
A line on the horizon? John Callaway 2012
One of the things that made a considerable impact upon me during my time in Nepal was the relationship between people and the land. Imported, packaged and processed food is obviously available there, but the cornerstone of greater food security is improving the resilience and productivity of smallholder’s livelihoods in an increasingly volatile and unpredictable world.
That relationship appears somewhat tenuous here with food increasingly being seen as just another consumer good. In a food system increasingly driven by the logic of the market, there is an increasing belief that food has to be cheap, regardless of its intrinsic value. “The system has broken the bond between the people who produce food and the people who eat it, leading to a decreased sense of mutual responsibility; the dwindling of a vital store of knowledge; and the impossibility for consumers to access information”. (Source: Slow Europe)
Noisy cluckers... John Callaway 2012
The idealist within me continues to ask to what extent is self sustainability and a more hands-on relationship with the soil, and with food possible on a personal level? Well…the potatoes are in, the onion sets are slowly growing and two out of the three chickens that were here before I left for Nepal are still going strong and producing eggs on an (almost) daily basis. The luxury of time means I’ve been reading a lot more about permaculture and looking at ways of applying some of the principles.
And the realist? Well, I’ve got my first job interview next week…
Not all plain sailing... John Callaway 2012
In the meantime…appropriate soundtrack here…
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