Cultural Learnings Of United Kingdom To Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Hungary

[Tamas]

but cutting down on carbon emissions from shipping oats from Africa.

I am sure the African farmers are grateful. 

That`s an other thing I can poke at: "let`s help the third world, but DO NOT trade with them. That`s bad. Give them charity money. That is noble. Doing business with them is bad for us." 

[Valmy]

That`s an other thing I can poke at: "let`s help the third world, but DO NOT trade with them. That`s bad. Give them charity money. That is noble. Doing business with them is bad for us." 

We buy stuff from China which then buys stuff from Africa.  What could go wrong?

[Richard Hakluyt]

I don't think that people buy "locally" to help the producers, it is more a search for "authenticity". So the parmesan I buy comes with a fairly lengthy story attached (which I can't remember), details of the farmer who makes it, how long it is aged etc etc............the point is that it is good stuff. Of course not every product with a long back story is actually any good but that is a different matter.

I suppose there is another aspect of buying locally which is closer to what you were talking about Tamas, which is the buying of fresh meat and vegetables off local farmers (usually at farmers' markets). We used to get very good meat from these when we lived in Suffolk, up here in Lancashire the vegetables are particularly good.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Its not quite local but it is the same country...

For the time being.

I was under the impression independence was not a forgone conclusion.  They have to vote and stuff.

They won't go. They talk with their hearts and vote with their heads, like nearly all British people.

[Valmy]

They won't go. They talk with their hearts and vote with their heads, like nearly all British people.

I didn't think so.  The polls looked favorable to my mother countries sticking together.

I do want to see more devolution though.

[Sheilbh]

That`s an other thing I can poke at: "let`s help the third world, but DO NOT trade with them. That`s bad. Give them charity money. That is noble. Doing business with them is bad for us." 

That ignores the fact that fair trade accredited goods are one of the fastest growing areas of retail

Having said that there's probably some Guardian writer who wrestles with the dilemma of whether to buy something fair trade from Kenya, or something with lower airmiles from Norfolk

My view is, money dependant, buy something local if I can especially if it's likely to be of better quality (most foods). If I can't, buy something fair trade over something that's not. Throw both rules out the window for something I really want or that's really tasty

[Valmy]

I don't think that people buy "locally" to help the producers, it is more a search for "authenticity". So the parmesan I buy comes with a fairly lengthy story attached (which I can't remember), details of the farmer who makes it, how long it is aged etc etc............the point is that it is good stuff. Of course not every product with a long back story is actually any good but that is a different matter.

I suppose there is another aspect of buying locally which is closer to what you were talking about Tamas, which is the buying of fresh meat and vegetables off local farmers (usually at farmers' markets). We used to get very good meat from these when we lived in Suffolk, up here in Lancashire the vegetables are particularly good.

I typically bought farm meat and eggs when I lived downtown.  I mean that stuff is domestically produced anyway and I could get more interesting and better varieties.  It is the only place you can consistently get anything besides the three land animals America agreed are the only ones fit to eat: pigs, chicken, and cattle

[Sheilbh]

I don't think that people buy "locally" to help the producers, it is more a search for "authenticity". So the parmesan I buy comes with a fairly lengthy story attached (which I can't remember), details of the farmer who makes it, how long it is aged etc etc............the point is that it is good stuff. Of course not every product with a long back story is actually any good but that is a different matter.

I suppose there is another aspect of buying locally which is closer to what you were talking about Tamas, which is the buying of fresh meat and vegetables off local farmers (usually at farmers' markets). We used to get very good meat from these when we lived in Suffolk, up here in Lancashire the vegetables are particularly good.

Yep. For me quality's the big issue. London's a bit of a whore like that, but when I was in Bristol I used to go to a local butchers - supplied from two local farms - and the meat was amazing. They also had their own sausage recipes etc.

Similarly when I buy, say, olive oil or parmesan I want to know what's in it (and what's not) and some guarantee of quality. Geographic links are good for that.

I've never really thought of it in terms of helping British farmers - not least because I still do lots of my shopping in a supermarket

[Sheilbh]

They won't go. They talk with their hearts and vote with their heads, like nearly all British people.

Assuming no one listens to the Tory idea of having Jeremy Hunt as the face of a campaign orchestrated by George Osborne

That'd drive Rutland independent

[Richard Hakluyt]

They won't go. They talk with their hearts and vote with their heads, like nearly all British people.

I didn't think so.  The polls looked favorable to my mother countries sticking together.

I do want to see more devolution though.

I also think that further devolution is a virtual certainty. I think they will end up having home rule within the UK.

[Valmy]

I also think that further devolution is a virtual certainty. I think they will end up having home rule within the UK.

That would be the best outcome for Scotland IMO.  England, and London, is just too important to Scotland to be left completely unsupervised

[Richard Hakluyt]

They won't go. They talk with their hearts and vote with their heads, like nearly all British people.

Assuming no one listens to the Tory idea of having Jeremy Hunt as the face of a campaign orchestrated by George Osborne

That'd drive Rutland independent

A lot of the current crop of tories look very odd from a middle-class North-West of England perspective, God knows what they look like to the Scottish working-class 

[Sheilbh]

A lot of the current crop of tories look very odd from a middle-class North-West of England perspective, God knows what they look like to the Scottish working-class 

Like they're about to gleefully burn their crofts to make way for sheep?

[Gups]

That ignores the fact that fair trade accredited goods are one of the fastest growing areas of retail

Having said that there's probably some Guardian writer who wrestles with the dilemma of whether to buy something fair trade from Kenya, or something with lower airmiles from Norfolk

My view is, money dependant, buy something local if I can especially if it's likely to be of better quality (most foods). If I can't, buy something fair trade over something that's not. Throw both rules out the window for something I really want or that's really tasty

In fairness, Jay Raynor has woken up to the concept of comparative advantage and that food miles are only a part of the calculation (and often not a very important one)

[Gups]

Its not quite local but it is the same country...

For the time being.

I was under the impression independence was not a forgone conclusion.  They have to vote and stuff.

It will be a no vote, based on the wallet. Sheep don't vote for Burns Night.