Food group's 'buy local' message

Headcorn Sustainability supports farmers' markets and local shops

A fresh food campaign group from Kent is hoping to spread its message and ideas across the UK.

Headcorn Sustainability, based in the village of Headcorn between Ashford and Maidstone, strongly supports the buying of locally-produced food.

It is backing new research in the Food Policy journal, which says farmers' markets and community shops can help the economy and the environment.

The report on "food miles" suggests £4bn could be saved by buying locally.

National campaign

Penny Kemp, co-founder of Headcorn Sustainability, said: "A typical Sunday dinner travels 49,000 miles to get on your plate.

"At the same time it emits 37 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

"You can actually see the difference that would be made if it's only travelled 12 or 20 miles."

She added that Headcorn Sustainability is not just about food-buying habits in Kent and the South East.

"It is a national campaign but one of the things that often happens is that the information doesn't reach those that are living in rural areas," she said.

"One of the reasons Headcorn Sustainability was started was because when we did some surveying at one of our farmers' markets, we found that people wanted environmental information and choices."