Category: Counting On …

Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on

Counting on … day 94

29th September 2026

Leafy greens are the third item listed as a food that will cost more this winter as a result of the extreme climate events and the ongoing conflicts around the world.

Leafy greens need a lot of water – think how much water there is in a lettuce leaf! Many leafy greens are also susceptible to fluctuations in available water: too little water one day cannot be compensated for by extra water the next. Either the plant will die or it may shoot up quickly and go to seed, or its growth will be uneven. Cabbages with thick green leaves cope better than delicate lettuce leaves. Cut-and- come lettuces do better than head forming lettuces. Sprouting broccoli does better than Calabrese, whilst cauliflowers can suffer sunburn! 

Again we can’t necessarily rely on importing leafy greens from Europe when our crops run short – although,  as reported below, countries like Spain already have in place better infrastructure for efficient irrigation. We may have to adapt to eating a different spectrum of green leafy vegetables. Equally we might look to growing some at home – and even without a garden we can grow herbs, sprouting seeds and mustard and cress.

For some leafy greens, there maybe technological alternatives such as vertical growing – https://canadawater.co.uk/latest/news/harvest-london-at-canada-water/ – or – as demonstrated in Germany,  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/11/supermarket-salad-rooftop-garden-berlin?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other – growing salads on top of the supermarket where they are to be sold! 

Alternative drought tolerant vegetables – https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-inspiration/grow-your-own/crops-to-beat-heat-and-drought

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/01/uk-importing-vegetabless-drough-heat-hit-british-crops-price-rises?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/14/how-england-summer-heatwave-affecting-farm-animals-crops?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 93

28th September 2026

The second item listed in the Conversation as one of five foods that are going to cost more this winter as a result of extreme weather events, global conflict etc, as potatoes. Potatoes as a crop need a lot of water – which is perhaps why they became a staple food crop in Ireland with its typically heavier rainfall. Whilst low rainfall over the last few years has caused an increase in prices, this summer’s drought will be impactful. And as the drought has been Europe wide, it will not be easy to import potatoes to make up this year low yield.  Potatoes also need fertile soils. For none-organic farmers, this year’s increased cost of fertilisers, will also be pushing up prices to the consumer. 

However potato is one of the foods most frequently thrown away as waste. This might be because potatoes have typically been a cheap food. If too much is cooked for a meal, it easy to throw away. If a plate is overfull, we probably eat the more interesting foods and leave the potato. And if we don’t store the potatoes well, they can start sprouting or go mouldy. This issue maybe accentuated if we end up buying a larger bag than we need – either because the larger bag is better value or because there are small bags or no option to buy loose potatoes.

It maybe that the increasing cost of potatoes will encourage us to value them more. We can:

Counting on … day 92

25th September 2026

Shortages of cocoa beans invariably leads to higher prices for the beans and that usually means even higher prices increase for chocolate. 

Whilst chocolate is made from cocoa beans, other ingredients come too. The cocoa beans themselves, after fermenting and drying, roasting and crushing, are finally ground to separate the oily part of the bean from the mass. The former is the coco butter and the later the cocoa solid or powder. These two are then recombined along with sugar, sometimes milk and various flavourings. 

One way in which manufacturers can reduce costs is by replacing some of the cocoa butter with palm oil. Palm oil is cheap to buy (although its cost in terms of damage to the environment is high) and it easily replicates the melt-in-the-mouth texture of cocoa butter.  It is also a more tolerant ingredient and makes the ‘tempering’ of the chocolate easier. 

However using palm oil rather than cocoa butter doesn’t reward the cocoa farmer. 

For those of us who can afford to do so, we can be selective in choosing which chocolate we eat. Ethical Consumer regularly updates its rating of different chocolate manufacturers.

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/shopping-guide/ethical-chocolate
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/palm-oil/palm-oil-free-chocolate

Cocoa and chocolate terms defined – https://www.global-organics.com/2019/11/22/chocolate-and-cocoa-terms-defined/

Counting on … day 91

24th September 2026

Cocoa plants are particularly susceptible to unseasonable weather, especially intensive rainfall and drought. This has already impacted this year’s production and will continue to be an issue with the ongoing impact of El Niño. Most cocoa production comes from small farms, and at that scale the impact of a poor harvest can be difficult to cope with. Poor harvests impact both producers and consumers. Cocoa farmers have long suffered from low prices for their crops. To some extent this can be alleviated through Fair Trade certification whereby the farmers receive a guaranteed premium price. 

However there are various other projects that seek to improve the profitability of small scale cocoa farms. These, for example, may include growing additional compatible crops such as yams, cassava, rice and poultry. Silviculture where taller growing trees provide shade and an additional crop, are a good solution. The RSPB sells chocolate made from cocoa grown in this way where a particular benefit is in providing restored forest habitats for native birds. 

Shade grown cocoa farming is to be encouraged as a better option for soil health, climate and biodiversity, than the sadly frequent practice of deforestation where natural tropical forests are cleared to make space for cocoa plants. 

Another approach is to manufacture the chocolate in the country of origin. This way a greater proportion of the money earned stays with the local communities.

Another potential source of income for the farmer is to recycle the cocoa pulp that surrounds the coco bean and which conventionally is discarded. 

Further reading

Fairtrade chocolate – https://www.fairtrade.net/uk-en/products-and-producers/fairtrade-products/chocolate.html

RSPB chocolate – https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/the-power-of-forest-friendly-chocolate

https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/rspb-dark-drinking-chocolate.html

Cocoa and deforestation – https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/chocolate-giants-fuel-deforestation-in-west-africas-last-rainforest/

https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?15675941/Business-as-usual-cocoa-Is-driving-a-new-wave-of-global-forest-destruction-warns-new-WWF-report

And https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/22/cocoa-planting-is-destroying-protected-forests-in-west-africa-study-finds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Chocolate manufactured in Africa – https://www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-chocolates-in-africa

Reusing cocoa pulp – https://www.wri.org/insights/hidden-benefits-cacao-waste

From bean to bar: how chocolate is produced – https://worldcocoafoundation.org/from-bean-to-bar

Counting on … day 90

23rd September 2026

An article featured in the Conversation, highlighted five foods that are going to cost more this winter as a result of extreme weather events, global conflict et al. These were chocolate, potatoes, leafy greens, olive oil and bread (wheat).

Over the next few days I’ll reflect on some of the impacts.

https://theconversation.com/five-foods-that-could-cost-even-more-this-winter-and-why-292419?utm_campaign=the-daily-39638&utm_content=the-daily-39638_uk%7C2%7C39638%7C41ea8a7e&utm_medium=email&utm_source=braze&utm_term=Five+foods+that+could+cost+even+more+this+winter+%E2%80%93+and+why

Counting on … day 89

11th September 2026

“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rejoice!”

I loved this headline from Ethical Consumer, promoting Second Hand September.

“Climate change and cost of living – if you find yourself caught between two crises, perhaps Secondhand September may help. Buying secondhand is one of the best ways to reduce both your carbon footprint and your monthly outgoings.

“Pre-loved items reduce the water, raw materials and energy associated with their production. And they’re often far cheaper than new, so you can either save money or buy better quality items than your budget would usually allow.”

Their article on second hand clothing is well worth reading – https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/ethical-clothing-choices-upcycling-repairing-second-hand

Counting on … day 88

9th September 2026

Green spaces are clearly important for mental health as well as for encouraging physical activity and well being. Research from Fields in Trust reveals that in the UK 5.6 million people do not live with 10 minutes walking access to a green space. 1 in 3 children under 9s do not have access to a playground near their home. Only 6% of green spaces are legally protected. 

To maintain access to green spaces at current levels for our growing population, would mean creating 4000 new parks by 2033. 

https://fieldsintrust.org/insights/green-space-index

Counting on … day 87

8th September 2026

Recently I was listening to an episode from Farming Today about a biodiversity restoration project in Norfolk which joined together the work of multiple farmers to create  a long nature corridor. The work sounded amazing but what really caught my attention was how, in participating and seeing the restoration of natural ecosystems with all their biodiversity, it was helping with the farmers own mental well being. Farming is not an easy profession especially when faced with droughts and floods where crops and livestock re diminished, as well facing the financial crises of rising costs for fuel and fertilisers. It is can also, I think, be quite a lonely occupation. 

https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/m0030x81

Counting on … 86

7th September 

A different aspect of resilience is maintaining good mental health. 

I know I can get over stressed by worrying about the various existential crises that we face – climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, injustice etc – and I can get into a frame of mind that says that anything I do will not be enough, that anything I do will not make a difference, and I can’t work out what to do. It becomes overwhelming and I can’t escape. 

But what do I know is that there are some things that I can do that will unwind the anxiety. One is  exercise and I do this regularly with a set pattern such that on Tuesdays for example, I will book a swim for 7.30am, then use the gym and then have breakfast in the cafe. The other is to simply go out and pay attention to the natural world – often this is sitting by the Thames, watching the river, the wildlife, the changing tides and seasons, and even just watching the people who are also enjoying the river. 

You could say that I count on nature to keep me sane!

Counting on … day 85

4th September 2026

Resilience* – readiness to cope with small emergencies – might also include a small collection of tool kit such as  and  screw drivers and hammers, a craft knife, screws and nails, string, gaffer tape and glue. Equally useful would be a sewing kit, and in both instances some knowledge about to use either kit. 

This would allow you to carry out small repairs in a temporary basis. 

  • This continues a theme I was exploring on August