BBC Radio 4's Food Programme recently broadcasted an excellent programme called Can Britain become self-sufficient? The programme explores the changing global food environment, and the role of the supermarket economy, verses the prospect of a healthy, local food economy. It asked the questions, "Should Britain Feed Itself?", and Can Britain Feed Itself?" As if in answer to the BBC's inquiry, Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton has recently purchased 21 acres of horticulture land near Warrington, on which to grow its own fruit and vegetables.

The Food Programme puts a very positive spin on local food production, and outlines key problems with the highly unsustainable globalised systems that people in Britain are on the whole dependent on.  

Amongst others, the programme interviewed Simon Fairlie, who is a permaculturist, and editor of the excellent Land magazine. Earlier this year the Land published an article by Fairlie called Can Britain Feed Itself? Within the article Fairlie compared a number of different models with a view to establishing whether, given the political will, people on the British Isles could potentially grow enough food to feed ourselves. Depending on the model of food production, the answer was broadly speaking that, 'Yes we can', although in order to do so we must seriously challenge our levels of meat and dairy consumption. You can download a copy of Fairlie's article, Can Britain Feed Itself, from the Transition Culture web site, here.

In addition, the Radio 4's Food Programme featured an interesting interview with Julie Brown, from Hackney's Growing Communities project. This is an organic market gardening social enterprise, operating in a highly urbanised environment in east London.

Prof Tim Lang, is the UK's leading thinker on UK food policy and recently worked as advisor to the Cabinet Office in their review of food and food policy.

" .. the big corporations know they're staring into an abyss, they recognise that the food system is based on oil .. a whole number of structural, new fundamentals, are altering the old paradigm on which the entire last 60 years of food systems have been based ... We now know that doesn't work .."

As a good omen that we are undergoing a paradigm shift towards more localised, humane, and sustainable food systems, Manchester Evening News also recently published an article called Foodies Know Their Onions, which is about Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton which has just closed a deal on 21 acres of horticulture land in Glazebury, Warrington. From here Unicorn will be growing its own organic food, and is making bold, practical steps towards ensuring that Britain does feed itself. The image to the right shows Debbie, who is a member of the Unicorn worker's co-op, feeding herself.