Forget the Mediterranean diet, I'm eating only food from Shetland for a month
Dr. Alex Armitage, a paediatrician in Shetland, is spending September consuming only locally produced food to test the island's self-sufficiency. He is concerned about the vulnerability of supply chains during extreme weather events that could isolate the archipelago.
Why it matters
It highlights the fragility of remote food supply chains and the growing interest in local food security and sustainability.
Image caption, Dr Alex Armitage is eating only food produced in Shetland during September
Could you survive a month eating only food produced in your local area?
It would be difficult enough to do in a city, town or village on the mainland. Dr Alex Armitage is doing it in Shetland.
As part of Shetland Food Month, the consultant paediatrician has set himself the challenge of surviving on just local produce for the month of September.
He's already been out in his kayak to catch fish, he's been foraging for mushrooms and berries, and he's enjoyed vegetables from his neighbour's croft.
Figure caption, Dr Alex Armitage is eating only food produced in Shetland during September
Armitage, who is also a councillor with the Scottish Greens, said he grew up in London where he heard stories of his granny's childhood in Shetland.
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