Dig for Victory 'should make a comeback'

The wartime mentality of growing your own food should be embraced by Britain again as people struggle with the rising cost of living.

This is according to Melanie Hickey, head of nutrition and regulatory affairs at Holland & Barrett, who said this could be an excellent way of saving money on the cost of buying organic produce.

"[Growing] your own or buying from local farms or market gardens presents an obvious way to reduce cost while still maintaining health and wellbeing," she commented.

Ms Hickey added that cooking at home instead of eating out or purchasing ready meals could also help to cut living expenses.

According to Defra, sales of organic food through box schemes, farmers' markets and farm shops grew by 54 per cent to £146 million during 2006.

Sales of organic products sold through supermarkets increased by 21 per cent in the same time period.

In related news, a report from the House of Lords science and technology committee this week said that consumers must learn to repair old clothes and be given the impression that it is socially unacceptable to waste goods of any kind.

This was in response to a growing trend of so-called throwaway fashion from outlets such as Primark and supermarket own-brands.