Next time you pick up a pack of bacon in the supermarket, spare a moment to check where it comes from and make a conscious decision about what you are buying. Apart from the obvious advantages of buying local bacon (fewer food miles and support of the local economy), we can also take into account the way that the pigs are farmed. The Ecologist’s Save The Great British Sandwich campaign drew my attention to the plight of pigs on Danish pig farms, and this is where much of the “cheap” bacon on our supermarket shelves comes from.
While the number of pig farms in Denmark is reduced year on year, the amount of bacon being produced is increasing, and this is resulting in farms becoming more like factories. Not only do the pigs suffer in cramped conditions, making their lives miserable, but the environment suffers too. With enormous amounts of manure being produced and spread onto fields as fertiliser, excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen are contaminating groundwater supplies, and the evaporation of ammonium from the fields raises the pH of the air and rain, putting local flora at risk. [Resource]
So what are the alternatives to Danish bacon?
- Look for the Union Jack on the pack – British bacon saves food miles.
- Organically reared animals have better lives – part of the organic ethos is treating our food with respect, so these animals aren’t farmed in factory conditions.
- Shop at Farmers’ Markets for locally produced bacon – You may find that you can buy bacon reared locally direct from the farmer.
- Buy from your local butcher – ask him for locally reared organic bacon, and you can take it home free from packaging too.
- Have a look at the Eco Street directory for mail order meat suppliers – there are lots of British farmers and butchers who have started selling their wares online.