Singapore
June 2013
This morning, Merlion Wayfarer drank a freshly-blended kiwi smoothie.
(Source : My Danish Kitchen)
Now, Italy is the world’s largest kiwi producer. The trans-alpine country has an extension of 25,000 hectares of kiwi, basically spread over the most typical areas: The Veneto (around Verona), Emilia-Romagna (around Cesena) and Latina (Southern Rome).
(Source : Lonely Planet)
This could mean that what she drank could be planted by someone as good-looking as these!
The handsome Italian-American crooner, the handsome Italian-American lover, the handsome Italian-American dancer....
Curious about the origins of her food, she took a walk in the supermarket. Here's what she found...
Carrots and apples from the lands of Crocodile Dundee and Lord of the Rings.
And yes, I "envy" the fresh air and green fields these fruits enjoyed there...
Nearer to Singapore, yet still a plane ride away - Dragonfruit from Vietnam and mangoes from India...
These probably suffered from bum ache from at least 24 hours of plane journey -
Pears and lemons from South Africa, black grapes from Chile, blueberries from Morocco...
From exotic lands filled with mystique that you often see in travel brochures -
Apricots from Turkey and green grapes from Egypt...
Not to mention the famous Valencia oranges from the US...
Ok ok, we all know that growing organic food causes fewer greenhouse gases than traditional farming. But what happens when your organic kiwis shipped from Italy to Singapore?
Most produce is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shipped for an average of 1,500 miles before being sold. As your breakfast racks up "food miles", it is also accumulating a larger ecological footprint due to the energy required to store and transport around the globe.
As a result of its time in transit, your kiwis probably require a lot more packing to keep it in good shape. And it is plucked when still in the raw stage. That explains why so many kiwis taste sour if you try to eat them straight after you bought them from the supermarket.
Where available, consider choosing produce grown nearer to Singapore, e.g. Pasar range. They are grown locally or in regional countries like Malaysia and Thailand.
It is World Environment Day 2013 today, so THINK before you EAT and SAVE the environment.
Think.Eat.Save
The full album is available at:
Sources
- "Kiwi in Italy: Collaboration with some of the most important companies" (10 April 2012). Agq.com. Retrieved from http://www.agq.com.es/article-fr/kiwi-italy-collaboration-with-some-the-most-important-companies (05 June 2013).
