Violence in food comes as no surprise. There is the act of taking an animal’s life or digging a vegetable up out of the ground. Done intensively, both of these acts constitute an explicit violence in our food industry. But what of the implicit violence, the kind that affects us much more? Such as eating beef every day. Is that a violent act? How damaging is that to our world? Or importing avocados from Mexico and quinoa from Peru? Especially as these countries cannot even afford these products in their own country because of the global demand.

Vote with your basket. Every single act keeps the system going or undermines it. You may think that buying asparagus from Peru or Irish battery chicken is a necessity – it is not. Demand produces a product. Without demand, there is nothing. Yes, I enjoy the odd avocado and I am not telling you to cease purchasing them – I am attempting to draw your consciousness outside of your stomach and beyond your plate. Why buy prawns farmed in slave-like conditions in Equator or southeast Asia? Prawns and avocados can come from sustainable and ethical places.

For the prawns, I stick to Irish langoustines. Peeled and pan-fried on one side only. I always leave the other side uncooked. Add a squeeze of lemon or sweet vinegar. For my avocado, I buy Fair Trade. This means they have been farmed in a sustainable way – for both the farmer and the fruit. Avocados are called the blood diamonds of Mexico due to their being produced in areas controlled by drug cartels. Sorry to ruin your power salad, or your gorgeous snap on Instagram.

Half the avocado and remove the stone and skin. Mash it up in a bowl with some coarse sea salt and a little more lemon. Serve together with your langoustines and a handful of organic rocket. You won’t need any black pepper. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin oil.