Spring to Action Ltd

Keeping it Local

This weekend I headed to the East Midlands Food and Drink Festival in Brookby (Leicestershire), on what was a rather wet and muddy field. Needless to say, us tough Brits weren't put off by a bit of frost and rain and the car park was full of foody types. If you haven't been to the festival, its a great mix of local food/drink producers, fresh food made on site and demonstrations by chefs. What a great way to spend an afternoon, wandering around food stalls and tasting some of our best local produce. We have an amazing food heritage in Britain and it's great to see it, and our local businesses, being celebrated.

Some of my favourites were

• Bison Burgers from Bouverie Lodge who rear Bisons in the Leicestershire countryside

• Chocolate Confetti who make chocolate truffles to suit every palate, and which look like abit of heaven
• Arty Party Cakes who design and bake cakes for every occasion

These local food and drink businesses are crucial to our local economy. As Monty Don puts it so eloquently “A frighteningly high proportion of packaged food depends on a few basic ingredients, such as maize, soya and palm oil, that can only be produced on a huge scale and at rock-bottom prices by a combination of environmental rape and human exploitation. We are literally burning up the planet in order to produce food that is harmful, unnecessary and repulsive. The growing and trading of the greater part of these basic ingredients is controlled by just four huge companies” (Gardeners World, October 2008).

This is why it's so important to support local traders and producers - because we just can't rely on 4 companies getting the world the food we need, especially during the current economic climate where large companies are biting the dust almost on a daily basis. Big Barn is an alternative which helps you find local food suppliers, understand about seasonal produce and get into the habit of buying locally, regularly.

Well, I'd better be off to nibble on the treats I bought yesterday (I've already finished my supply of Chocolate Confetti – it was that good!) and order my next batch of local food.

Kate

Protecting Our Resources Through Business

Have you noticed the proliferation of discussions about green / ethical issues, either for big business or in our personal lives?

Fashion is a great example.  A recent BBC report uncovered the treatment of workers in developing countries and we've been a proliferation of other reports in the more ethically aware newspapers and magazines. We’ve begun to educate ourselves about these issues and their impact – whether it’s looking at the CSR policies of major corporates (which in theory state the treatment of workers expected in their supply chains) or looking at fashion miles. Some consumers have gone further to reduce their impact on the environment and the people that make them by minimising the buying of new clothes and instead buying vintage or re-made textiles.

As well as reducing textile waste (estimated at 550 - 900 tonnes per year according to DETR) the added bonus is that it creates employment locally with seamstresses (a dying out trade) and vintage buyers who select the gems from the not-so-great. Several businesses serving this trade have popped up in our capital city, visited by celebrities and trend setters alike. It will be interesting to see if these boutiques expand further from London to smaller cities and towns across the UK.

I’m interested in how far these considerations extend into our businesses – in comparison to our personal / lifestyle choices? If we accept that many people make efforts to consider the environment, perhaps through recycling, using compost bins or considering food miles in their purchases, to what extent do people make conscious efforts to consider the environment in a planned and strategic manner within their small businesses?

I’ve noticed that many small businesses seem to be more committed to assisting the environment than their larger competitors – perhaps because its easier to examine your impact on a smaller scale. But every business can consider their impact upon the environment, no matter which sector or size. Perhaps it’s because a smaller business is far more personal – an extension of yourself.

What’s possible will depend business to business, but it could include looking at the method of travel to meetings (I don’t use car at all and only rarely is it an issue), using vegetable based dyes and recycled paper in any printing, reduce print outs (or print double sided or 2 pages to a sheet), consider your supply chain and make the best use of ICT. You could write an environmental policyand ask for copies of suppliers / customers to check their credibility. Whatever you do, it can’t be a ‘greenwash’- it’s so transparent it will probably reduce credibility and trust. And that is surely worse for your business than not writing an Environmental Policy at all?

Kate