The Salmon
and the Tomato
Highlighting the impacts of our food suply chains
Highlighting the impacts of our food suply chains
Supermarket staples, like salmon and tomatoes, were once luxury or seasonal items. How are they farmed today, and what is the impact of their intensive production?
This project focuses on two intensive food production systems—salmon farming in Northern Europe and tomato greenhouses in southern Spain—to shed light on the social and environmental costs of how they are grown. The story takes us from the icy fjords and lochs of Norway and Scotland to the warm, fertile waters of West Africa, and on to the vast expanses of plastic-covered greenhouses under the Mediterranean Spanish sun.
But this isn't just a story about salmon and tomatoes. It's a story about The Big Machine—neoliberalism and food imperialism, whereby richer nations control food production in poorer ones, offshoring the negative impacts of intensive production. It asks "what are the impacts of our cheap, year-round food?" and imagines a future where food is seen as a human right for all people, not a means to generate profit.
"A powerful and important tool for educating young readers about the complex interconnections of global food systems and their impacts on people and the environment."
Greenpeace Africa
"The [children's] book introduces the topic in a sensitive and thought-provokingway that would appeal to a wide age range of children, whilst emphasising opportunities for positivechange."
Naturalist and television presenter