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I love to swim in the sea.
Don't you?
And I think it is important that we take care of the sea,
so that all of us can swim and play there also in the future.
But the sea is not well right now.
In Södertälje
where I live, is the Baltic sea.
In school they told us that the sea is dying of eutrophication.
It means, that lots of bad substances run out into the sea,
for example from the nearby farms.
The substances that will hurt the ocean most are phosphorus and nitrogen.
They are great for the growing fields,
but when it rains, they run out into the ocean and cause oxygen depletion,
which kills the sea bottom.
We really must change this!
But how?
How the ocean feels depends really of the food we eat.
Did you know that?
Most of it comes from the fields,
the farms and the sea.
Wheat and rye for bread and pasta, milk we drink, cheese, meat and fish.
Some food is good for the Baltic Sea,
while other is not.
It depends on which farms the food comes from
and how much of phosphorus and nitrogen these farms let out into the sea.
Imagine, if we all could choose to buy food that doesn't harm the Baltic Sea?
As a matter of fact, we can!
By choosing food from organic farms and from farms close to where we live,
we can make a great contribution for the environment
and the Baltic Sea.
On the organic farms, there are no fertilizers
or chemical pesticides used and the animals can be out and graze more.
And they also take better care of the soil itself.
It is very important that the clover sometimes may grow for years and make widespread roots.
The worms love that, because it gives them food
and lots of aisles to crawl in and out of.
Then the worms poop, which makes the soil strong and healthy.
The cows will have a lot of food and give us meat and milk.
So, when the soil is strong, the farmer can grow wheat and potatoes and other things we eat,
until the soil needs clover again, to be strong.
To cultivate various crops different years is called crop rotation
and it makes the soil stronger and healthier.
Here in Södertälje there are many organic farmers
that try to be extra kind to the Baltic Sea.
They make sure that everything on the farm is taken care of of and being put back into the soil.
For example they produce all animal fodder on the farm.
These farms are called ecological recycling farms. They are the friendliest of all for the Baltic Sea
and for the environment.
If there are more such farms
we could actually save the Baltic Sea.
But not only the Baltic Sea would feel better, actually the whole environment
and the animals would too.
Then, there is one more thing, we humans must do to save the Baltic Sea.
We must eat less meat!
Today we eat too much meat for the environment's best!
Meat production consumes a lot of energy and if we eat less meat,
the oceans and the environment would be very happy and sing again!
Together we can make things better.
All kids and adults can eat more vegetables and less meat
and also really look for food that is organic and comes from ecological recycling farms.
The farmers should use fewer pesticides and make sure that not so much bad substances run out
into the Baltic Sea.
And all food stores and restaurants can be better at selling, promoting and offering food
that is good for the environment.
We all must try a little bit harder
to make the food better and healthier.
Then the Baltic Sea and the entire environment would feel a lot better!
To learn more about farms in Södertälje, which produce food that is good for the Baltic Sea, visit www.foodsociety.
This film was produced by Södertälje Sustainable Food Society and Anikon,
with support from: LEADER Södertälje Landsbygd, Södertälje Municipality and the University of Södertörn.