EDEN’S FOOD STORY

Where do want our food to come from ?

How much food do we need ?

What food do we need ?

What do we do with what is left over ?

Our Food Choices

Who will grow it for us ?

As of 1 July 2014, world population is estimated at 7.243 billion.

Requires food production to increase by 70 per cent.

By 2050, world population will reach between 8.3 and 10.9 billion.

Population Growth

The World’s FoodThe world’s food supply depends on

about 150 plant species.

More than 80% of world’s food

energy comes from rice, wheat,

and maize.

Root vegetables (eg. potatoes,

sweet potatoes, yams, cassava) and soybeans

provide most of remainder.

We exhibit these crops growing at

Eden – to demonstrate our dependence on

plants

MeatGlobal demand for more meat in diet

growing, particularly from China and India ->

80% growth in meat production by 2022.

1/3rd of world’s cereal crop feeds farm animals.

Rearing farm animals uses valuable water – becoming scarce globally.

Demand for cereal crop to feed

animals impacts availability of food

crops to feed humans.

Eating less meat & more plants ->

availability of meat for others, releases land for food crops,

reduces impact on environment.

Eden’s Food

Feeding Our Visitors at Eden

In 2013 we had 860,000 visitors to Eden Project.

About 70% of our visitors will have a meal.That’s 600,000 meals we freshly prepare annually. We spend about £2million buying food each year - £1.5million for catering and £0.5million for shop.

The choices Eden makes about food are significant.

Our Food Ethos

From plant to plate – it reflects the stories we tell in our exhibits.

Responsibly sourced, fairly traded, single-source, organic, seasonal and/or local and

freshly made, often in front your eyes.

80% of our catering food suppliers by number are local.

91% of catering food supplies by cost are local.

Eden’s FoodLess reliance on meat

Sustainably sourced fish – ‘by catches’

Plant based

Highlight our dependence on plants

Ingredients that bring new income to areas needing it – eg. Columbia

Linked with our exhibits

Sourcing our MeatTywardreath Butchers 2.5 miles from Eden

Six generations – award winning

All locally sourced

Have supplied all our meat since 2001

Work with us to develop new products –

Eg. The Eden sausage

Helped them to develop a new retail market

Roskilly’s – St Keverne

Started with fudge – now also toffee, chutney, jam,

mayonnaise and ice cream

Embraced our ideas – eg. Use of Kilner jar for chutney, jams etc.

Ice Cream Story

Worked with them to develop new flavours inspired by plants at Eden

Have grown business with Roskilly’s in 5 years from £0 to > £200,000

p.a.

Ice Cream StoryPanela

An African superfruit - rich in vitamins B2 and C

Sustainably harvested in Malawi

Income to PhytoTrade Africa -supporting rural

growers in southern Africa 

Unrefined Colombian whole cane sugar

Traditional, sustainable production

300,000 Columbians benefit from panela production

Baobab

Pasty Story

Worked with James Strawbridge and local suppliers to create recipes

Launched our extra-ordinary pasties in 2014

Recyclable packaging tells the story

Now handmade by Crantock Bakery

Eden Chocolate

Locally made Cornish chocolate

Uses cocoa and sugar from fair trade co-operatives in Central and Latin America and West Africa

Uses baobab

Eden WineWanted a house wine for our Med eating area

Local in short supply and too expensive for ‘house’ wine

Needed to be close Med and sustainably sourced

Languedoc vineyard – 3km from Med sea

Organic production using seaweed as fertilizer

Cornish wine broker

Light bottle

Screw cap – didn’t require ageing, works with lighter bottle, less waste from tainting by cork

Doubled variety of cork products sold in shop to show Eden’s commitment to cork

We throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes

in UK each year.

The average family throws away around £700 of food annually.

Food Waste Facts

Food waste costs £12 billion each year to UK households.

Landfill food waste produces methane 21 x more potent than CO2 .

Food Waste

Neter 30

Installed in 2005 – With funding from Viridor, BOC, SITA Trust

& Combined Universities of Cornwall

Uses aerobic digestion - microorganisms consume organic matter in the presence of air

Converts food waste into a nitrogen-rich compost

Food Waste at Eden

Contents reach more than 600C killing unwanted bacteria

Output is a rich fertilizer that is mixed with soil or used as mulch

Educational for visitors

In 2013-2014 we composted 25 tonnes of food waste, saving 7 tonnes of CO2.

Food waste collected from the CPU and all catering outlets

Fed in with recycled cardboard dust to help the composting process

Rotating drum moves contents along the cylinder mixing it with

oxygen

Composting process - about 80 days

Unfettered construction –> Loss of prime agricultural land & loss of farmers to city jobs.

Crippling shortage of foodstuffs such as milk and dried baby milk –>

Growth in black market & increase in child deaths.

Rising food prices –>Recycling of tainted food and repackaging scandals.

Lessons from China

Skills in growing plants needed globally, now and in future.

UK is acknowledged world leader in land and plant science, agronomy and horticulture.

Horticulture Matters – 2013 report compiled by RHS and key stakeholders

Importance of horticulture -

Helps combat the harmful effects of man’s impact on the environment.

Helps food security by providing constant supply of safe and nutritious food.

Issues in UK

Shortage of skilled professionals in UK -

Skills vital for UK’s food security & reducing the impact of climate change.

Over 70% of businesses can’t find the skilled horticulture workers they need.

Cornwall has best gardens as a group in the world.

Eden driving a Cornish push on standards and career opportunities -

part of UK wide initiative in agronomy, horticulture and food production.

5 Horticulture apprentices now, further 3 early 2015 -> Further 12 in Sept 2015.

Horticulture Degree course developed with Plymouth University and Cornwall College, starting Sept 2015.

Working with other gardens in Cornwall, eg. Heligan, Tresco, Tregothnan and Trenython Manor.

Eden’s Response (Grow)

Eden’s Response (Cook)

4 Chef apprentices now -> Further 12 in 2015.

NVQ level 2 qualifications in multiple modules.

Multiple placements – experience of different working environments.

Different ‘holistic’ way of thinking encouraged, ‘in tune’ with their

surroundings.

Learn about sustainability issues, and impacts of horticulture, such as

seasonality.

Where do want our food to come from ?

How much food do we need ?

What food do we need ?

What do we do with what is left over ?

Our Food Choices

Who will grow it for us ?

Who will cook it for us ?