Why Food Transparency Matters: A Researcher’s Perspective on Short Food Supply Chains

All of us want the food we bring home to be nutritious for our loved ones. As part of the EU4Advice project we asked Sarah Davison, a researcher with SoilGuard, one of the EU Horizon projects focused on soil health, about what it would really take to create a food system that we can trust. Sarah’s message is one of care not criticism. She feels that it’s the consumer’s right to know the truth.

Transparency demonstrates a regard for those who are responsible for making daily choices on how to feed themselves and their families. There’s a lack of transparency and honesty in the food system, she says in a gentle but firm way. When information is clear and accessible, trust will grow. Sarah gives an example that is well known to her: meat labelling. Beef may be described as ‘Irish’ if it is processed in Ireland even if the animal is imported from another country. For those who care about supporting local farmers and their local community, this discrepancy between what’s written and what’s actual can be a subtle betrayal.

Another area of concern for many parents, carers and health-conscious shoppers is whether farmers applied pesticides and chemicals to the land on which their food was cultivated. When people don’t have this information, they have to make key decisions in the dark. They are unable to do everything they can to keep their loved ones healthy. Sarah’s message is based on honesty. If you provide consumers with accurate and honest information, they will be able to pick food that feeds their families. They can also be a means of helping hard-working farmers who do their best to do the right thing. Caring for each other through food begins with the truth, and Sarah’s testimonial is an important reminder in the EU4Advice project’s efforts to connect producers to consumers more directly and robustly.