Let's talk about food

Specifically, supermarket vs homegrown. It seems that over the past 80 years supermarket food has been losing nutrients and minerals at a rather hefty rate. 

Yellow courgette / yellow zucchini grown in a veggie garden kit

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The greatest reduction is in vital minerals such as sodium (-52%), iron (-50%), copper (-49%) and magnesium (-10%).

‘Records from the British Medical Research Council from 1940 to 1991 reveal that during this period carrots lost 75% of their copper and magnesium, 48% of their calcium and 46% of their iron.’ "Sitopia - How food can save the world" by Carolyn Steel

In our battle to obtain tomatoes with longer shelf life we’ve lost 21% in calcium, 57% in vitamin B1, 59% in vitamin C . Green beans, peppers, radishes, etc all suffering from similar deficiencies.

Hollow Food

According to the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition there was also increase in water content.

'...by 1991 the fruits and vegetables contained more water where nutrient density – on a fresh weight basis – has consequently decreased.'

A vast majority of the UK conventional fruit crops like tomatoes, peppers and aubergines are grown in soil-less culture such as hydroponics.

'These systems are optimised to maximise yield, using artificial fertilisers, so nutritional value of the produce is not considered an issue.'

Source: International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition "Historical changes in the mineral content of fruit and vegetables in the UK from 1940 to 2019: a concern for human nutrition and agriculture" by Anne-Marie Berenice Mayer.  

Its easy to understand why

For me it comes down to 3 simple reasons:

1. Our intensive farming depleting soils of nutrients, with the population growth is putting an additional strain. 'United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, projecting the global per capita decline of arable land over the coming decades.'

   
   

2. Breeding out of wildness in the commercial seeds, locking farmers into high yields HF1 seeds, rather than heirloom varieties.

   
   

3. The simple unprocessed foods (fruit, veg, cereals) we need to eat more of, only offer producers 3-6% operating margin. By comparison highly processed foods (soft drinks, biscuits, snacks, etc) offer over 15% operating margin.

Sources:

"Sitopia - How food can save the world" by Carolyn Steel

"Eat your heart out - Why the food business is bad for the planet and your health" by Felicity Lawrence

So what's the solution?

I am not about to suggest we all throw ourselves with abandon into farming. However boosting one’s dietary intake with a little homegrown magic, feels like providing strategic nourishment.

I’ve got a selection of 19 veggies and fruit to keep me busy this summer all the way into winter. And yes, with urban garden space being at a premium, I’m planning on growing this mini allotment vertically.

Start your own mini allotment

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Welcome to The Plant Notebook

My name is Anna and I'm a maker with an interest in plants. I run Horticus from my pottery studio in Leicester where I make my living wall kits, write about indoor gardening and dabble in fun experiments.

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