Regional and seasonal ingredients

Goal 1

Many of the fresh fruits and vegetables available in our markets are imported from different parts of the world. The seasonal food items produced regio- nally are not only more healthy and have a longer shelf life, but they have a better and enhanced taste, because they lose comparably less vitality and nutrients. They are sustainable and climate-friendly, as their transport and storage over short distances and time respectively result in less energy consumption and emissions.

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Facts and Figures

Choose organic food items; they are more healthy and nutritious and protect the vital natural resources of soil and water.

Go for locally produced food as much as possible. Long transportation routes reduce the vitality of the food, besides adding to the emissions footprint.

In Deutschland werden mehr als 80 % des Obstes und rund 75 % des Gemüses importiert

Lebensmittel aus der Region legen kürzere Wege zurück, so dass beim Transport Emissionen eingespart werden - regionaler Konsum ist also klimafreundlicher

Tips for Ramadan and Beyond

  • Always buy seasonal and regional food items.
  • Buy organically grown food. Spare yourself and the environment the harmful (agro)chemicals.
  • Keep in mind: Anyone who buys seasonal and regional food items lives a healthier and more economical life.
  • Watch out for the organic label. Certified products give you information about the minimum quality standards that you can expect.
  • If you are too busy with your schedule, subscribe to any of the available organic suppliers. This can be done online with a few clicks.
  • Look for (weekly) farmers’ markets and farm shops in your vicinity and buy directly from the growers.
  • Buy from organic stores and supermarkets that coope- rate with local growers.
  • Refer to the seasonal calendar to find which regional fruits and vegetables are in season at a particular time of the year.
  • Get in touch with local growers and smallholder farmers and support the local economy. In the best case, get together with others and start a local commu- nity supported agriculture set-up.

Watch out for the organic certifications/labels in your region

Some examples from different countries:

deutsches-obst-und-gemuese-saisonkalender

http://deutsches-obst-und-gemuese.de/saisonkalender/