"Picking" Berries, and a Recipe

When shopping for food, I try to make the healthiest choices possible. I know which foods are supposed to be good for me, but I always wonder about the environmental costs associated with my dietary choices. How good are they for the planet, really?

I reflected on all this while shopping for berries for brunch over the weekend. Initially, I had hoped to purchase blueberries, however the only available ones had traveled all the way from Argentina. Next to them were blackberries from Kent. I told myself that I’d reduce my environmental footprint by buying fruit that had been grown in the UK, so I opted for the blackberries. But this got me thinking - what about the environmental impacts associated with the blackberries themselves?

Reading through the literature and to my great surprise, I discovered that blackberry production can have negative environmental impacts in some parts of the world. Rubus fruticosus, or the common blackberry, is native to much of Europe, and is distributed in all continents with the exception of Antarctica (CABI, 2013). Though the blackberry has commercial value, it is considered a weed in Australia (Grice 2006) where its impact is so large that it is listed as one of the Australian Weeds of National Significance (WoNS). It was first introduced to the continent in mid-1800, and since then has contributed to the reduction of plant biodiversity and wildlife habitat, the modification of pasture land, and the reduction in timber production, among others (CSIRO, 2011). By the late 1990’s, the spread of blackberries reached 8.8ha causing serious net costs to the Australian community (James & Lockwood, 1998). Currently, blackberry populations are managed through the use of biological control methods which employ strains of the blackberry rust fungus, Phragmidium violaceum, to control populations of the weed (Scott et al., 2002; CSIRO, 2011).

I think this is a great example of global environmental change that has been brought on by humans. It highlights the great diversity of Earth’s ecosystems, and the fact that humans must use caution when attempting to harness the forces of nature for their own benefit.  

In my last post, I promised I’d come back with something delicious. To honour my word, I’m concluding today’s post with a recipe that highlights the lovely taste of fresh blackberries. Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal  

Recipe slightly adapted from Super Natural Every Day.

Ingredients:

2 c. large flake oats

½ c. walnuts, chopped

⅓ c. agave nectar

1 tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp sea salt

2 c. milk

1 egg

3 tbsp butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 bananas, sliced

1 ½ c. blackberries

1. Preheat oven to 190°C, and generously butter the inside of a baking dish. 
2. In a bowl, combine oats, half the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. 
3. In another bowl, whisk together agave nectar, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. 
4. Arrange the bananas in the bottom of baking dish, and place half of the berries over top.
5. Cover the fruits with the oat mixture, then pour over wet ingredients. 
6. Top with remaining nuts and berries. 
7. Bake for 45 minutes until golden, and serve with a generous drizzle of Canadian maple syrup.