My Greener Home

One of my favourite magazines, the Ethical Consumer reports that MEPs recently voted against compulsory labeling for food produced from animals who have been fed genetically modified foodstuffs. Incredibly, the lack of legal protection for consumer’s rights on this issue appears set to continue. Greenpeace are clear in their view that genetically modified (GM) crops are grown to be resistant to all but just one herbicide – the one that the company producing the strains of crops also sells. They also state unequivocally that GM crops threaten biodiversity and frequently contaminate non-GM crops, meaning we all end up eating them whether we like it or not.

One way out of the cycle is to simply grow your own vegetables, and from experience, it needn’t be difficult, even for newer gardeners. If you don’t have a garden, there are still some viable options for you to grow your own food. The Square Foot Garden is an ingenious little self-contained unit, where you can grow different varieties of veg in each ‘compartment’, which measures just a square foot. You might also want to investigate Vegetables Boxes, or Grow-bags for smaller balconies and patios. Both can also make an attractive feature, as you can put the grow-bags into a nice wooden tray to keep everything tidy. If you have a more space to play with, you can install vegetable beds and coldframes to get you started. My top tip is that any raised vegetable bed is going to be easier to maintain than a ground level one – there’s less bending down to contend with.

Another advantage of growing your own vegetables is the option to keep everything organic. You can be in complete control, without having to pay higher prices for the organic offerings at the local supermarket. You also avoid all the packaging, which is often sadly not biodegradable or readily recyclable.