Monday, 12
More on avian influenza

Am I alone in being unsurprised by the outbreak of avian influenza?

Government policy is directed towards food security (ensuring that food is available) rather than self sufficiency (the proportion produced here). The decline of competitiveness of agriculture in the UK (aggravated by rules and regulations that cost) means that we produce less and import more.

Imports don’t just provide food – they introduce us to the risks associated with overseas production systems. Out of sight and out of mind might just not be that clever.

Replies 16 Feb 2007

Helen: No you're not alone. This is a subject that I know many people rant about and I could quite easily go into a rant about it myself but I'll save your readers from that.

The cheap products will always find a market here and we will never be able to stop people buying the cheapest food available to them. Even if we do try to educate the general public and make them aware of the conditions of overseas production systems.

Should the rules and regulations that our producers have to adhere to not be in place for all products that we import?

Monday, 5
Avian influenza

Full marks to Defra who seem to have swiftly caught and eradicated the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza at a turkey farm in Suffolk. Shame that the anti-agriculture lobby are so quickly out to blame "factory farming" when all the evidence worldwide points to extensive systems as being those most at risk.