Imagining a world without food poverty, obesity, or harmful agricultural practices can often feel a little hopeless, especially when we consider the immensely powerful commercial interests that we are up against. And when much of mainstream environmental evangelism fails to connect individual action with the bigger picture (ahem, plastic straws), it’s easy to feel dispirited about what impact we can have as individuals to prevent climate catastrophe and make the world a healthier, more equitable place.

Despite my natural cynicism, in the last few years I have found myself becoming increasingly vocal about the importance of ethical veg box schemes. I live in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, and every week I collect a bag of fresh, organic fruit and veg from Hackney City Farm. The scheme is run by Growing Communities, a social enterprise which sources produce from ecologically sustainable farms in London and the South East.

Buying my food through a veg box scheme has increased how much fruit and veg I eat and expanded my cooking and tastes; you’ll rarely find oriental mustards, kohlrabi, or sorrel in supermarkets, but they’re regular occupants of my veg box. It’s helping me avoid the toxic pesticide residues in non-organic veg and providing me with a higher level of antioxidants. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s also saving me money; Growing Communities calculated in 2018 that their medium veg bag was 17% cheaper than the same veg from Sainsbury’s.

But most importantly, being a member of Growing Communities has allowed me to play a small part in challenging the food system status quo. A recent report from the Landworkers’ Alliance highlights that the supermarket supply system leads to substantial health inequalities, food insecurity, and environmental degradation. The fragility of this system was thrown into stark relief at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as supermarket shelves emptied and food poverty increased.

In contrast, local food systems (of which ethical veg schemes are a part) are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, food waste, and pesticide use while improving agrobiodiversity, supporting the local economy, and reconnecting consumers with farmers and their food. Ethical veg schemes are also contesting the notion that organic veg is for the exclusive benefit of the middle and the upper classes. A number of schemes across the UK are adopting solidarity pricing models and have a focus on providing people living in food deserts and low-income communities with access to green spaces and fresh, nutritious food.

Currently, supermarkets dominate 95% of the grocery market but a shift of just 10% in retail market share towards more sustainable local food systems could yield up to 200,000 more jobs, tackle climate change, and help restore nature to the countryside. Ultimately this requires government support, but we can also act now to support local food systems. If we are serious about protecting our planetary health, we not only need to change the way we eat, but also how we source our food, and I’d say that switching to an ethical veg scheme is a pretty good place to start.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of an ethical veg box scheme and getting fresh, tasty, organic fruit and veg each week, take a look at the list of Better Food Traders.