Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes from

You all seem to be such proficient chefs. Well here is a place to share some of that cooking knowledge. Or do you have a cooking problem? Ask away. Jams and chutneys go here too.
Durgan
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1162
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:02 pm

Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes from

Post: # 267652Post Durgan »

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EVPGO The Hidden Price of Food from China

Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes from China. (Comment:Garlic will grow anywhere and takes almost no space.)

"Farmers used to eat the same foods they sold. But now that they are aware of the harmful effects of pesticides, fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics, they still produce a portion of their farm products for the market and a portion for their own families. The only difference is that the food for their families is produced using traditional methods. In fact, many wealthy Chinese have bought their own farms so as not to be dependent on what's available in supermarkets. There are also reports of special plots of land used to produce food exclusively for senior government officials."

Wake up folks.

User avatar
The Riff-Raff Element
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1650
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:27 pm
Location: South Vendée, France
Contact:

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267656Post The Riff-Raff Element »

I eat only French garlic for this reason, preferably that which I've grown myself.

User avatar
demi
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1124
Joined: Wed May 11, 2011 6:03 pm
latitude: 41° 50' N
longitude: 22° 00' E
Location: Prilep, Macedonia

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267671Post demi »

Yup, we grow our's our self and if we run out i buy from the local farmers market.
Tim Minchin - The Good Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr1I3mBojc0

'If you just close your eyes and block your ears, to the acumulated knowlage of the last 2000 years,
then morally guess what your off the hook, and thank Christ you only have to read one book'

User avatar
Odsox
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5466
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 2:21 pm
Location: West Cork, Ireland

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267673Post Odsox »

The problem is that 72%* of the European population and 82%* of the USA are urban dwellers who probably don't even have a window box. They are the ones who have to rely on Chinese garlic and all other vegetables.
We are the lucky ones.

UN data at http://esa.un.org
Tony

Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.

Durgan
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1162
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:02 pm

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267674Post Durgan »

Odsox wrote:The problem is that 72%* of the European population and 82%* of the USA are urban dwellers who probably don't even have a window box. They are the ones who have to rely on Chinese garlic and all other vegetables.
We are the lucky ones.

UN data at http://esa.un.org
The resident location matters little. The average NA simply has no interest in growing anything. My area is probably amongst the best overall growing area in Canada. I live in a subdivision (2000 houses or more) which has huge properties compared to the average, also good land and I am the only one with a vegetable garden. Vegetable gardening is almost a lost art in NA as is preserving produce in any quantity.

okra
Living the good life
Living the good life
Posts: 379
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:27 pm
latitude: 35.0
longitude: 33.4
Location: Kent, England
Contact:

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267675Post okra »

Odsox wrote:The problem is that 72%* of the European population and 82%* of the USA are urban dwellers who probably don't even have a window box. They are the ones who have to rely on Chinese garlic and all other vegetables.
We are the lucky ones.

UN data at http://esa.un.org
I don't think it's anything to do with access to land. In the UK allotments are available but the majority of people are totally disconnected from their food. They buy the bulk of their food from supermarkets or take-aways and have no interest where the food comes from, how it was grown or processed and there only concern is that it is cheap.

User avatar
Odsox
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5466
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 2:21 pm
Location: West Cork, Ireland

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267686Post Odsox »

Durgan wrote:The resident location matters little. The average NA simply has no interest in growing anything.
I totally agree. I remember a survey done for Irish ready made food industry a few years ago, which found that kitchens in some new houses in America were an "optional extra". :shock:
okra wrote:I don't think it's anything to do with access to land. In the UK allotments are available
I seem to remember past threads on this forum bemoaning the very long waiting lists of available allotments.
I wonder what would happen if several million people joined those waiting lists. :iconbiggrin:

But I do totally agree with everything that's been said, just me playing Devil's advocate really, but I still think we are the lucky ones with the skills, education and growing space to be able to opt out of consumerism in varying degrees.
Tony

Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.

User avatar
merlin
Living the good life
Living the good life
Posts: 245
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:52 am
latitude: 42.165085
longitude: 26.567146
Location: Bulgaria
Contact:

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267702Post merlin »

Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees, if people are too idle to plant a bucket of garlic outside the back door let them eat cake!
A few short films of us making home made food and drink in Bulgaria
http://inbulgaria.co.uk/

Durgan
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1162
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:02 pm

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267715Post Durgan »

I just returned from a 5 km walk along a nicely prepared trail around the sub-division with my dog, Ginny, and only met met two people, one lady jogging and another waddling about three blocks with her overweight dog. The trail is accessible by about 2000 or 3000 people simply by going out their door. People don't have the energy or desire to grow some of their own food. I am going over to a restaurant this morning for the social aspects and it will be full of out of shape people with their fat kids giving them plates full of food which they don't eat.Just my observations.

User avatar
merlin
Living the good life
Living the good life
Posts: 245
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:52 am
latitude: 42.165085
longitude: 26.567146
Location: Bulgaria
Contact:

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267717Post merlin »

Had a go at your pear juice recipe, looking good, great easy to follow pics and instructions, cheers!
A few short films of us making home made food and drink in Bulgaria
http://inbulgaria.co.uk/

Durgan
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1162
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:02 pm

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267722Post Durgan »

merlin wrote:Had a go at your pear juice recipe, looking good, great easy to follow pics and instructions, cheers!
I practically live on those "juice" concoctions. Today I am going to make some orange juice. The oranges look good from Australia and some from Chile. We are getting apples from NZ, since frost killed off the apple crop this Spring in Ontario. The Florida and California oranges wont be available until later. I only need about 20 pounds. While at the supermarket I will check the pomegranates and make a few litres if they are quality. Objective is to increase variety.

User avatar
merlin
Living the good life
Living the good life
Posts: 245
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:52 am
latitude: 42.165085
longitude: 26.567146
Location: Bulgaria
Contact:

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267758Post merlin »

we have 36 fruit trees, we planted all of them, it was a virtual moonscape when we got here. the past three years, now they are all producing is always a panic as to what to do with them. I make cider and wine, and brandy from some, but this preserving for storage at room temperature is just fantastic. We make all sorts of preserves for winter and store at room temp, never thought of fruit juices, don't know why!
A few short films of us making home made food and drink in Bulgaria
http://inbulgaria.co.uk/

User avatar
gregorach
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 885
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 1:53 pm
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267768Post gregorach »

Odsox wrote:
okra wrote:I don't think it's anything to do with access to land. In the UK allotments are available
I seem to remember past threads on this forum bemoaning the very long waiting lists of available allotments.
I wonder what would happen if several million people joined those waiting lists. :iconbiggrin:
The waiting list here in Edinburgh is currently about 9 years - and we managed to avoid getting rid of most of our allotment sites.
merlin wrote:Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees, if people are too idle to plant a bucket of garlic outside the back door let them eat cake!
A lot of people don't even have a back door.
Cheers

Dunc

User avatar
merlin
Living the good life
Living the good life
Posts: 245
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 9:52 am
latitude: 42.165085
longitude: 26.567146
Location: Bulgaria
Contact:

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267775Post merlin »

Fair point, it is just that people go on about 'how lucky' I am to be doing what I am doing. I have found over the years that 'luck' does seem to be attracted to people that go out if their way to actually do somthing. My daughter called the other day totally stressed about how she had to wait in all morning for Tescos to bring her food to her door, had nothing to do apparently, no luck there then!!
A few short films of us making home made food and drink in Bulgaria
http://inbulgaria.co.uk/

grahamhobbs
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 1212
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:39 pm
Location: London

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Post: # 267776Post grahamhobbs »

Ok, so who can grow a really good crop of garlic in the British Isles. This autumn I almost decided not to plant garlic. The cloves from my garlic are really too small to plant (it was a particularly bad year). But even in good years they are not that big and if they are not big, then the following year they will be smaller still, so you have to keep buying new stock it seems, and have you seen the price of non-chinese garlic - it wasn't going to be worth the effort. Fortunately I was in France and picked up a couple of garlics, with really fat cloves. But i was amazed at the price even over there.
I plant my garlic in the early part of October, on good organic soil, water them well for the last 3 months, but the results can be vary variable. Early Purple, Provence Wight and Germidor were just about reasonable this year but Solent Wight and Christo growing alongside them were pathetic.
So what's the secret of growing big garlic?

Post Reply