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Individual involvement

Food for thought

Go local

Buying food that’s been produced locally means it will have travelled less distance, creating less pollution. Buying your food from local greengrocers, markets and independent shops helps local businesses stay alive, keeps money circulating in the local economy, maintains the character of our towns and protects jobs for local people. You’ll also tend to travel less to do your shopping, which keeps your carbon emissions down as well.

Go Fairtrade

When you need to purchase items that are not produced in the UK such as tea, coffee, bananas, chocolate or wine, try and choose products that are labelled as Fairtrade. These brands guarantee that food producers in the developing world receive a fair price for their goods. Todmorden and Hebden Bridge are Fairtrade Towns, where you can find lots of shops and cafes committed to ethical trading.

Go organic

Buy fruit and vegetables that have been grown without the use of harmful pesticides, which pollute the soil as well as creating vast quantities of greenhouse gases during manufacture.

Go green-fingered

Try growing some of your own food - in your garden, on an allotment rented from the Council or even on your windowsill. You don’t always need a lot of space to grow food – herbs, tomatoes and even potatoes grow very well in tubs or planters.

Useful links

For allotment information see Allotment gardens or telephone 01484 726611.

To find out where your nearest local market is see Markets .

Calder Valley Organic Gardeners|
The organisation aims to educate its members and members of the public in all aspects of organic and natural gardening, both ornamental and productive.

Garden Organic| (the new name for the Henry Doubleday Research Association)
A a registered charity and Europe’s largest organic membership organisation. It is dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food.

Fairtrade Foundation|
For more information on Fairtrade products.

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