Sir, – Robert Prato (April 30th) bemoans the lack of Irish-grown vegetables. I suggest he tries growing his own. I do, but this year with the continuous rain I am still waiting for the first of this year's crop and will be waiting for some time. – Yours, etc,
DAVID MURNANE,
Dunshaughlin,
Co Meath.
Sir, – When wondering about the geography lessons to be learned from the origin of all the vegetables on our shelves, did Robert Prato not consider the American shopper placing the second best-selling butter in the US into their basket, Kerrygold, or the continental shopper’s basket of Irish beef and lamb? The circle may be huge, but what goes around certainly comes around in the world food-supply chain. – Yours, etc,
JOHN ROGERS,
Rathowen,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – Robert Prato is displeased that his purchases this April of lemons, courgettes, strawberries, grapes, plums, apples, and more, were sourced from great distances away. Perhaps we should content ourselves with locally sourced and currently in season produce. This would dramatically reduce the land, sea and air miles travelled by our food. However, our G&Ts would miss lemons, parma ham is not the same without melon, and we all like grapes and apples whenever we want.
To be properly sustainable we need to be less self-indulgent and more in touch with what, where and when nature can provide for us. – Yours, etc,
SARAH GRIMLEY,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.