By Finlo Rohrer BBC News Magazine Food miles have become a burning issue in the climate debate as campaigners call for people to eat more local food. So what happened when a family tried to survive on food only from Fife?
By Finlo Rohrer BBC News Magazine Food miles have become a burning issue in the climate debate as campaigners call for people to eat more local food. What happened when a family tried to survive on food only from Fife?
Whether it's avocados from Peru, green beans from Kenya or lamb from New Zealand, people are constantly being told that their dietary choices have an impact on carbon emissions.
Whether it's avocados from Peru, green beans from Kenya or lamb from New Zealand, people are constantly being told that their dietary choices have an impact on carbon emissions.
In response, green activists in Canada conceived the "100-mile diet", with volunteers trying only to eat food from within a hundred-mile radius of their home.
In the US, the term "locavore" has been applied to people that eat locally-sourced food.
And in response to the , green activists in Canada conceived the "100-mile diet", with volunteers trying only to eat food from within a hundred-mile radius of their home.
But another group of volunteers in Fife have adopted and adapted the idea. They've created the Fife Diet and are trying to live on a diet of food that is largely from within the area, shunning air-freight goods.
But another group of volunteers in Fife have adopted and adapted the idea. They've created the Fife Diet and are trying to live on a diet of food that is largely from within the area, shunning air-freight goods.
Green beans are one of many air-freighted vegetables
Green beans are one of many air-freighted vegetables
Writer Mike Small is one of the volunteers and he and his wife Karen and children Sorley and Alex have now been on the diet for two months.
Writer Mike Small is one of the volunteers and he and his wife Karen and children Sorley and Alex have now been on the diet for two months.
"Its incredible we've come to the situation where people find it inconceivable to eat food from near where you live," Small argues.
"Its incredible we've come to the situation where people find it inconceivable to eat food from near where you live," Small argues.
"Our food system is failing us all and is unsustainable. In a few years local will be as mainstream as organic and it will be thought ridiculous to purchase air-freighted goods that you could get from Scotland or your own region."
"Our food system is failing us all and is unsustainable. In a few years local will be as mainstream as organic and it will be thought ridiculous to purchase air-freighted goods that you could get from Scotland or your own region."
Here is a week in the life of the Fife Diet, as well as the likely menu for Christmas lunch.
Here is a week in the life of the Fife Diet, as well as the likely menu for Christmas lunch.
MONDAY
MONDAY
Breakfast:Porridge
Breakfast:Porridge
Lunch:"Minestrone del Leven" [Leven is on the Fife coast] with curly kale, parsley, carrots, onions, and chilli
Lunch:"Minestrone del Leven" [Leven is on the Fife coast] with curly kale, parsley, carrots, onions, and chilli
"All our vegetables come from an organic farm in north Fife," says Small.
"All our vegetables come from an organic farm in north Fife," says Small.
Dinner: Homemade rolls and bacon (from Auchtertool, west Fife)
Dinner: Homemade rolls and bacon (from Auchtertool, west Fife)
"Our flour is from a mill in Kirkcaldy and we make our own bread.
"Our flour is from a mill in Kirkcaldy and we make our own bread.
"We probably eat less meat than before and little or no 'snacks' or processed food like biscuits, and we're definitely getting our five portions of fruit and veg."
"We probably eat less meat than before and little or no 'snacks' or processed food like biscuits, and we're definitely getting our five portions of fruit and veg."
TUESDAY
TUESDAY
Breakfast: Homemade bread toast with Fife butter and raspberry jam (from a firm in Newburgh)
Breakfast: Homemade bread toast with Fife butter and raspberry jam (from a firm in Newburgh)
Lunch: Leek and potato soup
Lunch: Leek and potato soup
"As a family of four we'd previously have shopped at, say, Lidl and Sainsbury's. We haven't been to a supermarket in a month and have cut our costs by a few pounds per week. It's a myth that eating locally needs to be expensive."
"As a family of four we'd previously have shopped at, say, Lidl and Sainsbury's. We haven't been to a supermarket in a month and have cut our costs by a few pounds per week. It's a myth that eating locally needs to be expensive."
Dinner:Stuffed cabbage and pork chops (again from Auchtertool)
Dinner:Stuffed cabbage and pork chops (again from Auchtertool)
WEDNESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast:Scrambled eggs and toast (with eggs from Kingsbarns, St Andrews, Fife)
Breakfast:Scrambled eggs and toast (with eggs from Kingsbarns, St Andrews, Fife)
Potatoes are winter fare
Potatoes are winter fare
Lunch:Parsnip soup
Lunch:Parsnip soup
"The most difficult thing has been preparation time when cooking from raw ingredients. The most rewarding has been meeting people, and discovering what's available from your region."
"The most difficult thing has been preparation time when cooking from raw ingredients. The most rewarding has been meeting people, and discovering what's available from your region."
Dinner: Omelette and chips
Dinner: Omelette and chips
THURSDAY
THURSDAY
Breakfast:Toast and bacon
Breakfast:Toast and bacon
Lunch: Carrot soup
Lunch: Carrot soup
Dinner: Venison stew (from Auchtermuchty)
Dinner: Venison stew (from Auchtermuchty)
"We used to eat more of a Mediterranean diet. We ate lots of pasta and aubergine and salad. People now are used to opening up a packet of salad. We as a family have moved away from that," says Small.
"We used to eat more of a Mediterranean diet. We ate lots of pasta and aubergine and salad. People now are used to opening up a packet of salad. We as a family have moved away from that," says Small.
"Now we often eat stews and casseroles, something that feels appropriate as its bloody freezing up here. Yesterday it was minus five. Would you want to be eating a salad?"
"Now we often eat stews and casseroles, something that feels appropriate as its bloody freezing up here. Yesterday it was minus five. Would you want to be eating a salad?"
FRIDAY
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Porridge
Breakfast: Porridge
Lunch:Stovies (Scottish potato-based cooked-up leftovers dish) with baby swede, onions, yellow carrots and Fife butter, all from Bellfield near Newburgh
Lunch:Stovies (Scottish potato-based cooked-up leftovers dish) with baby swede, onions, yellow carrots and Fife butter, all from Bellfield near Newburgh
Dinner:Colcannon - consisting of mash potato, kale, butter, and a little pepper and salt - and sausages from Auchtermuchty
Dinner:Colcannon - consisting of mash potato, kale, butter, and a little pepper and salt - and sausages from Auchtermuchty
Salt and pepper are examples of things that are difficult to source in Fife.
Salt and pepper are examples of things that are difficult to source in Fife.
"It is not possible to entirely self-sufficient, it is not even desirable. We are not advocating complete self-sufficiency or independence, that would never be a true state of affairs. People have always traded," says Small.
"It is not possible to entirely self-sufficient, it is not even desirable. We are not advocating complete self-sufficiency or independence, that would never be a true state of affairs. People have always traded," says Small.
SATURDAY
SATURDAY
Breakfast:Scrambled eggs on toast
Breakfast:Scrambled eggs on toast
Lunch:Shepherds Pie
Lunch:Shepherds Pie
Dinner:Organic Beef Stew (from a farm in Abernethy)
Dinner:Organic Beef Stew (from a farm in Abernethy)
Bramble Crumble
Bramble Crumble
"Although fresh fruit is limited in this season, you can still get pears and apples which store well, and frozen summer fruits: raspberries, strawberries and brambles are available," says Small.
"Although fresh fruit is limited in this season, you can still get pears and apples which store well, and frozen summer fruits: raspberries, strawberries and brambles are available," says Small.
CHRISTMAS LUNCH
CHRISTMAS LUNCH
Starter:Borscht - Beetroot soup with a circle of yoghurt,served with Aberdour oatcakes
Starter:Borscht - Beetroot soup with a circle of yoghurt,served with Aberdour oatcakes
The bird: Roast Bronze organic turkeys (from Falkland, near Cupar) with roasted seasonal vegetables - parsnip, potatoes, carrots
The bird: Roast Bronze organic turkeys (from Falkland, near Cupar) with roasted seasonal vegetables - parsnip, potatoes, carrots
The pudding: White chocolate ripple ice cream with Fife raspberries (from Dairsie)
The pudding: White chocolate ripple ice cream with Fife raspberries (from Dairsie)
Drinks:Bouvrage (Alloa, Clackmannanshire) raspberry drink made from Fiferaspberries and Christmas ale from Fife
Drinks:Bouvrage (Alloa, Clackmannanshire) raspberry drink made from Fiferaspberries and Christmas ale from Fife
Of course, the range of alcoholic drinks would be limited if the Fife Diet was taken to extremes.
Of course, the range of alcoholic drinks would be limited if the Fife Diet was taken to extremes.
"As far as wine goes, we get fruit wines from Perthshire, some of them aren't that good and some of them are OK. But there is Cameron Brig single-grain whisky distilled in Fife."
"As far as wine goes, we get fruit wines from Perthshire, some of them aren't that good and some of them are OK. But there is Cameron Brig single-grain whisky distilled in Fife."
It's fine to have the odd bit of chocolate or wine or spice from outside Fife. Those on the diet are not extremists but are experimenting for the future, Small says.
It's fine to have the odd bit of chocolate or wine or spice from outside Fife. Those on the diet are not extremists but are experimenting for the future, Small says.
"Some people are shocked by this experiment but it's nothing special."
"Some people are shocked by this experiment but it's nothing special."
