Could you curb your coffee intake; leave out the lemon; say sayonara to sugar? Could you shun imported foods, and live only on Irish-grown produce for a month to help raise awareness about Irish food security?
That is the challenge posed by artist, food activist and Co. Kerry smallholder, Lisa Fingleton, who, for the last seven Septembers, has eaten foods only grown in Ireland.
She has done this as part of her 30-day Local Food Challenge, which is designed to highlight issues with Irish food security.
Climate targets and the ongoing war in Ukraine make the challenge more relevant than ever, she said.
But going a full month on Irish-grown food only can be hard going, the artist admitted.
So, Lisa is inviting people to take part this September in whatever way they can – maybe by eating just one all-Irish meal per day, or even one all-Irish meal per week.
Food-security threats
In the seven years since Lisa founded the 30-Day Local Food Challenge, food supply chains have been hit by a succession of market shocks, highlighting her concerns with increasing urgency.
From seed shortages caused by Brexit to the global market shock of Covid-19, to potential shortages caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine to the recent conversation about carbon emissions and Irish agriculture, there has never been a more important time to talk about Irish food security, Lisa said.
Panel discussion on Irish food security
In advance of this year’s 30-Day Local Food Challenge, Lisa and panellists from the Irish Farmer’s Association and Talamh Beo will gather for a discussion on Irish food security and the market shocks that are impacting it on August 25, at 6:00p.m at the Crawford Art Gallery, Co. Cork.
“This year in particular, in Europe, we are seeing the impact of war on food and the global reliance on Ukraine as an important wheat producer,” Lisa said.
“This has shown us more than ever just how fragile our food systems are. We need to focus on building sustainable and resilient food systems on the island of Ireland,” she said.
The 30-day Local Food Challenge starts on September 1; good luck with whatever version of it you can achieve.