It is no coincidence that this issue combines mental health with the cost-of-living, climate, and farming, under one umbrella of ‘cost’. The anxiety around climate, the mental health crisis in farming after decades of intensive systems, and rising food poverty, are all human symptoms of the big systemic problems of our era that need to be addressed together.
Incidentally, this is something our cover star, Vandana Shiva, has always known in her work fighting on behalf of both farmers and planet. It’s an honour to hear her reflections on a lifetime’s work, and her thoughts on where we are today.
And so, we have looked into whether people still make ethical food choices when prices go up (pages 16-17); how bakeries are balancing affordability with fair pay and sustainable grains (pages 18-19); and where housing fits into all this (pages 20-21). And as eco anxiety becomes a default setting, we hear of powerful ways to counter it (pages 30-31). Meanwhile, as farmers struggle with a mental health crisis, the new regenerative farming movement is starting to offer some human, as well as ecological, answers.
There is also hope written into our new regular column by Poppy Okotcha, Practically Radical, combining gardening with positive change (page 33). And there’s beauty to be found in thrifty cooking thanks to Tamar Adler (pages 6-7), and our second anti-consumerism shopping guide (page 32). We hope you enjoy this, our 10th print edition of Wicked Leeks, and find a little inspiration to tackle your own personal ‘costs’.
Nina Pullman
A further note on how to read the magazine
Our 10th print edition of Wicked Leeks magazine has a topical theme of ‘Cost’, and, ironically it is also the first time we are selling a number copies to cover our own costs. This year has been unprecedented in the scale of rising costs-of-living, with all businesses, homes and farms facing huge increases in energy, fuel, food and other bills. With a small cover price of £1.95 available solely to Riverford customers, we hope to ensure Wicked Leeks can continue its quarterly print edition of original, exclusive and specialised journalism on sustainable food, ethical business and environmental issues.
Wicked Leeks has always been designed to be read by anyone with interest in these areas; for now the print magazine is restricted to Riverford customers, but we encourage people to pass on the magazine to friends, family or neighbours. Or you can read it as a digital edition here. If you are a Riverford customer, you can buy the magazine here.
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