NEW YEAR DETOX

More evidence appears daily that improving our diet can improve our health. A new British Cabinet Office report has produced some startling findings:

• 69,400 premature UK deaths a year - a massive 1 in 9 - could be prevented by more balanced diets containing more vegetables and less fat, salt and sugar.
• £10 billion a year is spent on diet related ill health in the United Kingdom.

Common sense and balance are so often the best solution. More sprouts please.

FOOD AND FUEL PRICE WARNING

So the New Year has started with record highs in prices for oil and many agricultural commodities. Yes, indeed, choices will have to be made.

We are facing the confluence or rather conflict of four major trends:

1. Growing world population.

2. Rising prosperity in major emerging economies such as China and India.

3. Climate change disrupting agricultural supply patterns.

4. Governments disrupting market forces for fuel supply competitiveness.

One wish I have for 2008 is that biofuels should be developed on their own merit. Artificial subsidies will accentuate the overall problems and there are enough problems already.