5 18 APRIL 2024 News&Views HIGH PRAISE FOR HEDGEROWS There’s more to the humble hedgerow than meets the eye. They may seem unassuming and at times unkempt, but these ancient boundaries are considered by naturalists to be ‘the greatest edge habitat on Earth’, standing between much of our wildlife and extinction. This is the case made in Hedgelands, a new book by Christopher Hart (right). “Hedges act as flood defence systems, storage units for carbon and incomparable havens for wildlife, supporting up to 80% of our woodland birds,” he says. “They are one of the happiest accidents in history. Created thousands of years ago as livestock barriers, they became rich habitats for native flora and fauna.” “Collect all the plastic bottles from the kitchen and bathroom that you are throwing away over the course of a few months. Once you have all the empties, look online and try to nd re ll equivalents for each product. Doing this will dramatically reduce the amount of singleuse plastic you discard every month, and it’s a great way to support ecofriendly companies that are o ering re ll options, while also encouraging more brands to follow suit. It helps to look for B Corp-certi ed brands, as this is a stamp of approval that lets consumers know they are supporting a veri ed sustainable business.” Anna Shepard DO ONE GREEN THING Support refillable brands, says Gabi Jennings, founder of Love Ocean, a natural bath product range for children Some of our oldest, such as Judith’s Hedge in Cambridgeshire, are more than 900 years old, predating Westminster Abbey. Recent research by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has revealed that Britain boasts 400,000km of historic hedges – that’s enough to wrap around the world 10 times. But experts warn that 50% have been lost in the last century. This is why the Campaign to Protect Rural England is expanding its Hedgerow Heroes scheme, asking communities to flag up unloved land for reinvigorating shrubbery. It’s National Hedgerow Week from 6-12 May, so now’s a good time to take action. And the UK’s 23 million LIVING WALLS Get behind National Hedgerow Week and do your bit for the environment gardens are a great place to start. “Most have at least a modest hedge. This is an incredible potential resource,” says Christopher, who suggests rewilding by introducing flowering climbers such as honeysuckle and bindweed. He says the best hedges include a variety of native shrubs, trees and bushes such as hawthorn and crab apple. “With better management, we may not need to worry so much about insect and bird numbers falling or carbon capture targets. Hedgerows would do much of the work for us, if we only looked after them.” Sarah Barratt An extra 1.1 billion portions of veg have been consumed across the country, thanks to a ve-year Food Foundation campaign. The charity says the increased vegetable intake has added eight months to UK life expectancy as a result. Since its launch, the Peas Please project has seen organisations across the sector – from caterers and dining chains to manufacturers and retailers, including Waitrose – take a veg pledge to make it easier for everyone to get their 5 a day. Describing vegetables as ‘the golden thread connecting diets that are healthier and more sustainable’, the Foundation reports that achieving 5 a day for all could not only add eight months to the UK’s average life expectancy, it could also decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 82%. Waitrose, which has been given a top green light rating by the Foundation, has increased the vegetable content of all its recipes and own-brand ready-meals, pizzas, pies, soups and sauces. As a result, Partner & nutritionist Dr Joanne Lunn says: “In the year 2022-23, we sold a quarter of a billion portions of veg through our meal solutions alone.” The supermarket has also added extra veg options to meal deals and lowered prices on health food lines, such as apples and pulses, with its annual Food & Drink Report showing a resulting rise in sales from 58% in 2022 to 61% in 2023. Alice Ryan Join the peas movement to boost your veg intake Photographs: Getty Images
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