Oh sugar, another ethical question.

[Rosendula]

I noticed recently that Silver Spoon is grown in the UK. That surprised me because I didn't know we could grow it here (forgive me, I'm a bit thick ). Does anyone know if Silver Spoon sugar has always been grown locally? Or have they just moved it here and if so, where from and what happened to the people who were growing it in other countries?

The reason I'm asking is because I'm in an ethical quandry. I believe in supporting local trade, and if that's not possible, I believe in Fair Trade. I can get Fair Trade sugar for the same price as Silver Spoon, so price isn't an issue for me. So do I buy Silver Spoon and support local producers, which I will feel uncomfortable about if they've stripped people in other countries of their income? Or do I buy Fair Trade, which is ethical but not local?

[MKG]

I don't know who bought it, but the UK, until recently, was a large producer of sugar - from sugar beet rather than sugar cane, However, the reason for beet's popularity as a crop was that it is bloody easy to grow AND it was heavily subsidised by the EU. That subsidy has now disappeared and the number of beet fields in the UK has consequently dropped remarkably. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that means that any sugar producer is now forced to look for other raw material sources abroad.

[Rosendula]

So really we're looking at buying Silver Spoon in order to protect one of our own industries. OK. Thanks MKG.

[Green Aura]

Lincoln area, I believe, used to be the main area for growing sugar beet. So maybe anyone from that area would know.

I don't know how you ever resolve the dilemma you find yourself with Rosendula. I would always go for locally produced first, not only to preserve local livelihoods and skills but also , of course cut down food miles. Then, like yourself, get fairtrade.

I'm a bit stunned that you can buy fairtrade sugar at the same price as silver spoon. Is it a big company selling fairtrade - I know I'm an old cynic but I'm never totally convinced that their fairtrade is really fair - if you know what I mean.

[Bluemoon]

This is a toughie. Personally I'd always go for the local option because it cuts out the food miles and I have this notion - probably completely incorrect - that the less food we buy from overseas, the more land will be available there to subsistence farmers for food growing. After all, if the land there is being used for sugar, rice, asparagus or whatever for the world market, then where does their food come from? Do they have to import the basics? Does this mean that those who work this land actually live at near starvation levels simply because food (which they could grow themselves) is imported and thus expensive? Think about it in allotment terms; our site has roughly 50 plots, theoretically a well managed plot can keep a family of four in veg pretty much year round, that's 200 people. If the same land was used to grow something for export then it could (and would) be done by one farmer. The profits would have to be used to buy expensive imported food and so the same land would therefore feed one family, perhaps just half a dozen people.

[Rod in Japan]

Let me throw another spanner in your works;

I seem to remember reading something about sugar beet growing in the UK being rather disastrous for the land - loss of topsoil and biodiversity. That would also be something to consider in your equation.

How about growing/producing your own sweeteners?

[mrsflibble]

I've never been that keen on silver spoon for my brekfast cereal, so for that i have billingtons organic demarara, but i buy silver spoon for baking and such.

I think one goes past the silver spoon processing plant when trying to get from nottingham to lincoln...but i could be wrong.

[Clara]

Let me throw another spanner in your works;

I seem to remember reading something about sugar beet growing in the UK being rather disastrous for the land - loss of topsoil and biodiversity. That would also be something to consider in your equation.

How about growing/producing your own sweeteners?

I think that probably goes for anything that is monocropped, no matter where.

Definitely up for bees next year though....sugar is my bete noir

[ina]

Let me throw another spanner in your works;

I seem to remember reading something about sugar beet growing in the UK being rather disastrous for the land - loss of topsoil and biodiversity. That would also be something to consider in your equation.

How about growing/producing your own sweeteners?

I think that probably goes for anything that is monocropped, no matter where.

Definitely up for bees next year though....sugar is my bete noir

And it used to be more or less monocropped (usually in a three year rotation - at least where I worked on a farm that produced it in Germany) because of the high subsidies, which have now gone... So that problem should at least be reduced by now.

Bees aren't really an alternative; they can only produce that much honey because they are heavily fed with - sugar! Unless you go for a very low input variety of beekeeping, feeding only honey that you don't want to eat yourself and/or have a lot of - but then, of course, you only have a very small output of honey...

Best is - cut down your consumption of sugar. I buy one 25kg bag a year (organic, imported, and probably not fair trade - at least it says nothing about that on the bag!), which lasts me for an awful lot of jam, some cake, and supplies the office, too. Personally I hate sugar in coffee or tea, but my boss drinks his half and half...

[MKG]

... and what about the winemaking sugar, Ina?????

[Clara]

Let me throw another spanner in your works;

I seem to remember reading something about sugar beet growing in the UK being rather disastrous for the land - loss of topsoil and biodiversity. That would also be something to consider in your equation.

How about growing/producing your own sweeteners?

I think that probably goes for anything that is monocropped, no matter where.

Definitely up for bees next year though....sugar is my bete noir

And it used to be more or less monocropped (usually in a three year rotation - at least where I worked on a farm that produced it in Germany) because of the high subsidies, which have now gone... So that problem should at least be reduced by now.

Bees aren't really an alternative; they can only produce that much honey because they are heavily fed with - sugar! Unless you go for a very low input variety of beekeeping, feeding only honey that you don't want to eat yourself and/or have a lot of - but then, of course, you only have a very small output of honey...

Best is - cut down your consumption of sugar. I buy one 25kg bag a year (organic, imported, and probably not fair trade - at least it says nothing about that on the bag!), which lasts me for an awful lot of jam, some cake, and supplies the office, too. Personally I hate sugar in coffee or tea, but my boss drinks his half and half...

I'm by no means an expert but my neighbours have 3 hives, they do not feed the bees (imagine that sign at the zoo!) and they get tons of honey, so much they have to give it away. I'll have to look into yields I guess...

[ina]

Ah - sorry; I forgot you are in Spain... Your season will be much longer than ours, therefore a lot more nectar out there for the bees!

Edited to add: we had that discussion years ago in Germany - is it better to support local beekeepers or buy fairtrade imported honey? I argued that we should do both; local beekeepers cannot produce all the honey we want to eat - and the fairtrade honey always came from countries where it is much easier to produce it, as they have an almost year round season.

[ina]

... and what about the winemaking sugar, Ina?????

Pssst - forgot to mention that! But so far it's come out of the same bag, too... 3 of my demijohns are full of raisin wine - no sugar added. (I got free raisins; otherwise that would be a very expensive option!)

[Milims]

I think I heard recently that Tate and Lyle are going fairtrade

[ina]

I think I heard recently that Tate and Lyle are going fairtrade

What - all of it?