Author: Judith Russenberger

Environmentalist and theologian, with husband and three grown up children plus one cat, living in London SW14. I enjoy running and drinking coffee - ideally with a friend or a book.

Sunday before Lent

15th February 2026

Reflection with readings below

Reading today’s passages one thing that struck me was  the word ‘liminal’. It is a word that comes from the Latin ‘limen’ meaning a threshold, cross-piece, or sill. It is describes an in between space, somewhere between, say, inside and outside. Or between what has been and what will be. It can be a physical  – on the threshold of a door, or in the no-man’s land between borders, or in A and E, between the ambulance and the hospital ward. Or it can be mental – standing on the chancel step as a couple make their wedding vows, or at midnight making New Year’s resolution, or on the edge of the pool preparing to dive in.

Both the story of Moses going up Mount Sinai and of Jesus going up a high mountain have a liminal character. Both Moses and Jesus are momentarily standing outside their normal pattern of daily life. It is as if they are pausing before taking the next momentous step in their journey. For both it is a transformative moment. They both have a close encounter with God. And because we know what happens afterwards, we know that for both this is turning point or rather a point of no return. The gift of the Ten Commandments is a defining moment for God’s people. They may sin and fail, but they cannot undo or un-become God’s people. For Jesus there is no turning back, no disappearing back into the crowd of Galilean peasantry. He is now set in Jerusalem and a confrontation with the powers that be. 

The etymology of the word liminal gives us not just the idea of a threshold but also of a cross-piece, which of course suggests the cross. The transfiguration of Jesus prefigures his resurrection which is probably why this gospel passage is chosen for this the last Sunday before Lent. 

Can we then see Lent as a liminal period? A time in which we will be on the threshold of what was and what will be, between ‘ordinary  time’ and the new era of resurrection? If so, it will also be a time of encounter with God, a time of preparation and empowerment. It will be a turning point, a point of no return, for we are called by God to be an Easter people. 

All this reinforces the need for Lent to be a time of prayer, of reflection, of freeing ourselves from unnecessary trappings and letting go of unnecessary burdens, a time of drawing near to God. Lent is a time to ready ourselves for what God is next going to ask of us. Lent is a liminal time when we rediscover or discover a new, what it is to be God’s people, to be participants in bringing in God’s kingdom here on earth.

Exodus 24:12-18

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.” 

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Psalm 2

1 Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?

2 Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the princes plot together, *
against the Lord and against his Anointed?

3 “Let us break their yoke,” they say; *
“let us cast off their bonds from us.”

4 He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in derision.

5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath, *
and his rage fills them with terror.

6 “I myself have set my king *
upon my holy hill of Zion.”

7 Let me announce the decree of the Lord: *
he said to me, “You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.

8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your possession.

9 You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”

10 And now, you kings, be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Submit to the Lord with fear, *
and with trembling bow before him;

12 Lest he be angry and you perish; *
for his wrath is quickly kindled.

13 Happy are they all *
who take refuge in him!

2 Peter 1:16-21

We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Joys and Sorrows of Civilisation 

14th February 2026

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading:  So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: ‘You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors ….. he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.” Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised. Acts 13: 16, 17a, 22b,23

Reflection 

Roots secure us to the past, ensure that we are part of the continuity of creation; shoots  and branches  take our lives forward into the as yet unformed future. Without the next generation there will be no ongoing continuity. The gospels of Luke and Matthew both locate Jesus within a human family tree;  the prologue of John’s gospel locates him as co existent with the beginning of all creation. Later in John’s  gospel, Jesus affirms his coexistence with the Father and the ongoing coexistence, through him, of all believers, all God’s children. 

For gifts of past generations:

We thank you God.

For the gift of fire for cooking and heating

For the gift of clean water and sewers:

We thank you God.

For the domestication of cattle and horses,

Cats and dogs, sheep and pigs, 

Hens and geese:

We thank you God.

For the gift of gardening and arable cultivation,

sowing and reaping, 

growing and harvesting:

We thank you God.

For the gift of healing and caring, 

of medicine and surgery

For the understanding of the intricacies of mind and body:

We thank you God.

For the gift of story telling and drama, 

of art and observation 

means of sharing grief and joy:

We thank you God.

For the gift of learning and research, 

of teaching and sharing:

We thank you God.

For the gift of exploration and endeavour, 

of travel and communication:

We thank you God.

For the gift of worship, 

of self realisation 

and of the knowledge of God:

We thank you God.

But what shall we pass on to generations to come?

Do we offer gifts or burdens?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Clean air or choking smog?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Living water or dying oceans?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Renewables or fossil fuels?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Biodiversity or widespread extinction?

 Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Fertile soils or inhospitable dust?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Balmy summers or wild fires?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Snow capped mountains or drowned coastlines?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Homes for all  or camps for migrants?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

May we be wise guardians of what we have received 

Skilful custodians of what we consume

Generous donors of what we hand on

That the future of creation will be bright and beautiful, 

fair and just.

Amen

Green Tau

9th February 2026

Why and how Christians should react to the climate and biodiversity crisis

Last year Christian Climate Action produced vision document, Stop Crucifying Creation (1), calling on the Church to be outspoken and prophetic about the climate and biodiversity crisis; whilst Green Christian at its annual conference explored the idea that churches should become hubs of resilience in the face of the crisis – and this has been outlined in their most recent Storm of Hope (2).

Some years ago when I was looking at ordination, I read a book by Rowan Williams about the nature of priesthood. He described this as a threefold call to be a witness, a watchman and a weaver. On reflection I now understand that this is not just the calling of the priest but also of the Church. 

Witness – ie to witness to gospel message of Jesus, to his teachings, his life death and resurrection. To witness in words and actions what Jesus teaches about salvation: that we should love God and one another, that we should cherish and protect creation, that we should not abuse our privileges, that we should act justly, seek mercy and walk humbly with God

Watchman – ie looking out for what is on the horizon, what is coming down the road towards us. What are the dangers we may be facing? What are the stories that the world is telling us – both truthful and dishonest ones?  What are the solutions? How can we beat love our neighbours? How does God want us to respond? 

Weaver  – ie to be an instigator and supporter of community building, enabling resilience, and  also identifying areas of conflict or disagreement so that they can be addressed or diffused. Being skilled in holding together different points of view and the needs and desires of different sectors that impact daily life both locally and globally.

The ‘Stop Crucifying Creation’ visionary document encompasses all these three role models. 

Witness:-

Call for the Church to return to its roots: to create the communities and lifestyles that Jesus taught, where love for our neighbour and not profit determines our actions, where shying the gospel leads to repentance – rethinking and reshaping our lives, where prayer and sabbath rest shapes our days and weeks, where gratitude to God for all that we have inspires our worship, where sharing resources and helping one another is the norm. It will be to counter the prevailing consumerist society, to embrace the ethic of “Joy in Enough” (an ethic actively promoted by Green Christian), to steer away from the model of constant economic growth. 

Watchman:-

Call for the Church to openly name and resist the evils that are driving the climate and biodiversity crisis. To be able to unpick and explain the issues, such as the increasing future cost – especially to the poor and vulnerable – of not acting now. And rather to be able to show how action now can create a better future for everyone: a win-win scenario

This will be to speak truth to power, to challenge the entrenched systems that perpetuate the destruction of our environment and the oppression of the poor.

Weaver:-

This will be to create strong communities within the Church, and to enable and support the wider communities in which the Church finds itself. It will be to help create hubs of resilience which in many cases may focus round church buildings. It will be to advocate for supporting communities in other parts of the world, encouraging governments and organisations to work together for the common good.

It will be to increase understanding of the interconnectedness of the natural world, to enable people to live in harmony with other living beings, to live within the limits of finite resources, safeguarding and protecting the natural world for generations to come.

(1) ‘Stop Crucifying Creation’

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yOj-jCh9H8L_vqFJ89fbpJHPQibwPgQ0/view?usp=drivesdk

(2) Storm of Hope

Click to access Storm-of-Hope-January-2026-proof-4.pdf

Second Sunday before Lent

8th February 2026

Reflection with readings below

There can be a tendency for people to disregard the Old (or rather Hebrew Testament) as irrelevant, too obsessed with pedantry rules, or with too many stories of a vengeful God slaughtering his enemies. How then should one hear Jesus, in today’s gospel, saying ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.”?

It seems to me that today’s passage from Isaiah neatly provides the answer. 

The people – those of the house of Jacob, ie those who considered themselves to be God’s people – absolutely want to be seen to be doing what is right, to be seen to be following God’s ways, yet Isaiah is told to tell them – to shout out and not to hold back! – that they are rebellious sinners. 

Why? 

Because  they do not engage with God wants, with what is at the heart of God’s teaching. They may fast now and then, and look a bit humble, but they won’t forgo any profit or riches to ensure that their workers are fairly paid. And they won’t humbly pay attention the other’s point of view but instead go straight in, fists flying, and use violence to impose their will. 

These people have failed to understand that what God wants is for them to end injustice and oppression, and to be hospitable, providing homes and food and clothing etc for the poor.

It’s not about looking good but doing good! And that is the essence of all the law and the prophets.  It is as Paul writes, about following God’s wisdom –  however foolish that may seem – rather than the wisdom of the world’s leaders which is doomed to lead to failure.

If we but look around the world, we will see this as truth. How often do we see rich and powerful people  making out how benevolent and wise they are, only to find that they have made their wealth by exploiting others? How often do we see rich and powerful people using force of the threat of violence  to oppress others? How often do we hear national leaders promising to help the poor and vulnerable at press conferences, only to backtrack when the cameras are looking elsewhere? 

Nor must we neglect to look to our own actions. When we buy a cheap cup of coffee, of cheap shirt, or a cheap bag of apples, do consider whether the low price reflects an underpaid barista, or an underpaid factory worker, or an underpaid farmer?

Jesus is telling us is that there is no alternative from following God’s law. If we neglect God’s law we are like salt that has lost its saltiness. Only if we have the singularity of the saltiness of salt, only  if we have the integrity of light shining forth, can we hope to welcome the Kingdom of God.

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!

Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.

Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;

they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.

“Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”

Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
and oppress all your workers.

Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.

Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.

Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?

Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?

Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

Psalm 112:1-9 

1 Hallelujah!
Happy are they who fear the Lord *
and have great delight in his commandments!

2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land; *
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches will be in their house, *
and their righteousness will last for ever.

4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright; *
the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

5 It is good for them to be generous in lending *
and to manage their affairs with justice.

6 For they will never be shaken; *
the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.

7 They will not be afraid of any evil rumours; *
their heart is right;
they put their trust in the Lord.

8 Their heart is established and will not shrink, *
until they see their desire upon their enemies.

9 They have given freely to the poor, *
and their righteousness stands fast for ever;
they will hold up their head with honour.

1 Corinthians 2:1-12

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, 

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived, 

what God has prepared for those who love him”— 

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 

Matthew 5:13-20

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Love overcomes hate

7th February 2026

Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:8

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Matthew 5:43-47 (The Message)

 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

Response

Hate or love?

Hate smoulders and burns.

It reduces cheer to ash and clinker..

Love soothes the flaming rage,

And untangles twisted thoughts.

Hate rides roughshod over compassion.

It disregards the truth.

.

Love reads between the lines,

And hears the hidden words of hope..

Hate erects rigid boundaries.

It ring-fences every option.  

Love sees beyond the corner,

And stretches out new horizons.

Hate casts an evil guise over every action.

It masks every sign of joy.

Love lifts the veil, 

And finds the hidden virtue.

Hate feeds on anger. 

Its rapacious appetite knows no limit. 

Love expands with humility, 

And grows with easy care.

Hate is all consuming – 

Till nothing true remains.

Love is all consuming – 

Till only truth remains. 

Prayers

Holy God of love,

Heal the wounds where hate festers.

Renew our trust in one another.

Holy God of love,

Remove the log that blinds the eye. 

Restore our vision of the world aright.

Holy God of love,

Open the ears that are stopped.

Retune our understanding of forgiveness.

Holy God of love,

Cut through warfare and  vengeance –

In streets and cities in the UK.

In Palestine and Isreal.

In Iran.

In Yemen.

In North Sudan and the Sahel. 

In the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

In Ukraine and in Russia.

Cut through war and vengeance –

wherever it is found.

Replant the seeds of peace,

Water them with  love,  

with compassion, 

and feed them with vigorous determination. 

Amen 

The Lord’s Prayer

Counting on 2026 …. Day 21

6th February 

In response to the government’s national security report ‘Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security’ (1)  Sustain responded with its reading of the urgency of the situation, making the following recommendations:-

“The Government must now look to planning, nature recovery and food and farming policy to mutually support each other to deliver the wholescale changes in diets and food production that security experts recommend. Farming policy must prioritise global ecosystem recovery, and nature and climate policy include measures to grow more foods that boost our resilience and aren’t heavily reliant on imports. Immediate actions include:

  • Halting any further expansion of intensive livestock production
  • Investing in projects like Bridging the Gap, and schemes like Welsh Veg in Schools, to unlock profitable supply chains that increase the production and consumption of organic fruit, vegetables and legumes
  • A horticulture investment strategy that boosts commercial production of UK vegetables, beans, pulses, legumes and nuts, as well as increasing the UK market for these products 
  • Ending the exploitative practices of large agri-food corporations, and give farmers more power to set prices and market conditions
  • Funding farmer cooperatives, networks, and mentoring schemes to scale agroecological farming through knowledge sharing, pooling resources and building collective market power “ (2)

It is frustrating that there are so many clear solutions to the crisis we face, but so little willingness on the part of the Government to enact the policies and legislation that would enable these changes to be made – because market forces won’t do this alone and many people whether farmers, retailers or consumers are trapped by unrestrained market forces.  

  1. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024-introduction

(2) https://www.sustainweb.org/news/jan26-national-security-risk-report/

Counting on 2026 …. Day 20

5th February 

Sustain’s report (released November 2025), Bridging the Gap: How to fix the food system for everyone, calls for the creation of “just, healthy and sustainable UK food system will require system-wide change alongside strong leadership. Farming of nutritious food with lower inputs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, which restore nature and support decent livelihoods for a diversity of growers must become the mainstream to build nutritional security and domestic resilience against global shocks. Our policy recommendations include ways to significantly increase domestic fruit and veg production in the UK7 and, with this, more jobs (up to 80 jobs per thousand tonnes produced), benefiting local communities.9

“Alongside this we need to double the consumption of fruit, veg and pulses to improve people’s health while securing a market for growers, supporting the transition to climate and nature friendly farming. For this triple bottom line to be possible, good food must be available and affordable in local retail settings and across our schools and hospitals, sourced through ethical, value-based supply chains that provide growers with better and more reliable incomes than what they currently experience via supermarket supply chains.11 

“If we are to produce food that is good for people and for the planet, and accessible to everyone regardless of their income, the Government must actively support climate and nature friendly horticulture and lead by example on how our food is bought and sold.” (1)

The report lists three clear policy recommendations:- 

1. Fix the supply – Boost British fruit, veg and pulse production

• Introduce cross-departmental horticulture strategies across the nations to support green growth and boost production and consumption of fruit, vegetables and pulses

* Support small-scale and organic farmers through grants, better land access, and training programmes

2. Fix the missing middle – Ensure fair prices and invest in infrastructure

•Invest in local food infrastructure like food hubs, processing and packing facilities (particularly for legumes), and distribution centres to help smaller local producers get produce to market.

•Strengthen supply chain fairness to enforce fair dealing across more of the supply chain.

3. Fix the access – Enable everyone to eat good food

• Use the state’s £5 billion of public food procurement from schools and hospitals to create stable markets for organic and locally produced produce. This will deliver on the Labour Government election manifesto commitment to ensure 50% of publicly procured food is local or to a higher environmental standard.

  • Run pilots and roll-out schemes to make healthy food more affordable for low-income households and reduce NHS spending, such as vouchers and ‘fruit and veg on prescription’. (1)

The report details 9 different pilot schemes that have been running for the last two years, and the results show clear win-win outcomes for health, climate and  environment, local economies, and food security.

Will the government take on these recommendations? Will they be supported by the farming industry, by retailers and by consumers? 

  1. https://www.sustainweb.org/assets/bridging-the-gap-how-to-fix-the-food-system-for-everyone-1764673053.pdf

Counting on 2026 … day 19

4th February 

To return to yesterday’s astounding statistic that the UK is just 62% self sufficient for all foods, and when looking at indigenous foods (ie those that can be grown in the UK) we are disappointingly only 75% self sufficient. And for fresh fruit we are about 15% self sufficient. 

It would seem that all too often imported fruit and vegetables are cheaper – perhaps coming from countries with lower wages or countries like Spain that use cheap seasonal labour from North Africa. (This is in itself a justice issue for these seasonal workers are often abused by their their employers – https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/agricultural-workers-rights-almeria). 

Do we need to encourage more horticulture in the UK and encourage consumers to buy UK produce? Maybe we need a “Buy British” advertising campaign as we did in the past with eggs.

Equally the government and local authorities could ensure that the Public Food Procurement sector does more to buy locally – encompassing buying British rather than imported produce, and buying from local (often small and medium sized) producers.

However this is not a simple straightforward problem to solve. If buying British means paying a higher price for fruit and vegetables, then the poorer sectors of our society need to receive a higher income – either through improved benefits and/ or improved pay. The proliferation of food banks already shows us that we are failing as a society – and therefore being failed by our government – to ensure everyone has enough money to eat well.

Wages also feed in as a cost factor for the producers of fruit and vegetables. Growing and harvesting is both labour intensive and seasonal. Increased wage costs (due to inflationary pressures and NI costs etc) are eating away at profit margins. This has also been compounded by Brexit which has reduced the supply of seasonal workers from Europe and sometimes crops have gone unharvested severely denting the viability of businesses. We need a better system of ensuring that everyone receives a fair wage as the bedrock of our economy.

The dominance of the supply chain by big supermarkets also needs to be reviewed. Supermarkets dominate the market giving them considerable leverage over prices paid to the producers. Whilst this does drive down costs on some items, it does so at the expense of the producers. A report from 2022 by the Sustainable Farming Campaign highlights the very small profit margin received by food producers as opposed to the profits made elsewhere in the supply chain: “For 1kg of apples purchased in a supermarket (about 6 apples), the apple grower has costs of 76p, yet receives in profit just 1% (3 pence) of a selling price of £2.20”. The same report observed that organic apples sold not by a supermarket but by a not-for profit hub, received : “1kg of organic apples purchased gives the organic apple grower three times -3% (10 pence) of the selling price of £4.00 with costs of 175p.” Ie a 0.06% profit margin as opposed to 0.04%. (1)

Another major costs for the producers of fruit and vegetables is energy. Rising energy prices have, for example, particularly affected crops grow under glass. In part this is because of the UK’s past heavy reliance on fossil fuels and the impact of the war in Ukraine. A concerted shift to renewable energy would bring down energy costs but in terms of a just transition, should grants be made available to enable fruit and vegetable growers to invest in solar panels? At the same time there needs to be urgent investment in the capacity of the grid.

Support  with investment in new technologies and infrastructure would also encourage an expansion of UK based production. Relatively speaking, horticulture doesn’t need lots of land vis a vis other crops or livestock,  but does need more infrastructure per hectare. 

Another factor to be considered in terms of promoting  UK grown fruit and vegetables is the growing insecurity of the supply of imported produce. Spain, Italy and North Africa from where much of our imported fruit and vegetables come, are countries that are increasingly the impacts of change – droughts  floods etc – and which have already resulted in reduced harvests. 

  1. https://www.sustainweb.org/news/nov22-unpicking-food-prices-new/

Background reading

 – https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/POST-PN-0707/POST-PN-0707.pdf

Counting on 2026 … day 18

3rd February 

The availability of food is highlighted as a major concern for the UK in the Government report,  Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security. Food insecurity is seen as major national issue. 

The UK is just 62% self sufficient for all foods, and when looking at indigenous foods (ie those that can be grown in the UK) we are disappointingly only 75% self sufficient. In other words we are importing up to  25% of foods that could be grown here in the UK!

The Guardian recently produced an article about food security in Finland. (1) Despite a not very amenable climate with a short growing season, Finland is 80% self sufficient for food. Finland is by nature a country where a preparedness mindset is essential in the face of its climate, its geopolitical borders and its own geography.  

Finland’s National Emergency Supply Agency (Nesa) ensures that the nation will cope if things go wrong. They maintain a strategic store of grains – wheat, oats, barley and rye – which is rotated to ensure freshness. This reserve helped to reassure people when the war in Ukraine led to grain shortages. 

Farms form the backbone of their food system, and they have developed varieties of grain and other staples that are suitable for their short growing season. Alongside the farms, Finland ensures that their food supply chain is also resilient. Emergency fuel reserves are kept for both farm machinery and transport vehicles. 

Another key part of Finland’s resilience strategy is in ensuring preparedness at household level too. Finnish households are all encouraged to maintain a sufficient stock of food and other essentials to last 72 hours. 

(1) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/16/finland-crisis-food-stockpiles-europe-supply-chains-fuel-reserves?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on 2026 … day 17

2nd February 

Food security is a pertinent issue. A recent Government report,  Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, investigates “how global biodiversity loss and the collapse of critical ecosystems could affect the UK’s resilience, security and prosperity.” (1) 

At the top of the list of events the poses a high risk for the UK is global ecosystem breakdown: ie the ecosystems on which we depend for fresh water, clean air and food, and for predictable weather patterns, and which protect us from diseases, would cease to function. 

Without major interventions, the report states that this is a highly likely outcome based on current trends. 

Not only would this impact us locally, the UK would also be impacted by the knock on effects of systems collapse in other countries leading to increased competition for limited resources such as food and water, greater risk of global pandemics,  an increase in both armed conflict and mass migration. Partial system collapse is likely by 2030 and a global collapse as early as 2050. 

In a repeat of what has been said so widely, measures needed to reduce the likelihood of global ecosystem collapse include:-

  • Protecting 30% of global land and ocean by 2030 (now just four years away)
  • 30% of global nature to be under rest by 2030
  • Mobilising finance to close the funding gap of $700bn
  • Reducing risks from pesticide usage by 50% by 2050
  • Eliminating or reforming harmful subsidies by $500bn by 2050
  • Meeting the 1.5C Paris climate agreement target

So why aren’t we – whether as individuals, as industries or as the government – a) doing more to curtail activities that are driving this ecological breakdown, and b) doing more to increase national and global resilience?

  1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-security-assessment-on-global-biodiversity-loss-ecosystem-collapse-and-national-security?internal=true