Sustainability and the Food Industry

6th June

DEFRA has just published a major report on the ‘Food Industry Sustainability Strategy’ (FISS).

This report sets out the key priority areas for action beyond the farm gate with respect to the Government policy on sustainability.

The food industry is

A major energy user (accounting for around 126TWh per year, equivalent to about 14% of energy consumption by UK businesses) and a major contributor to UK carbon emissions (with 7 million tonnes of carbon per year);
A major user of water, both from direct abstraction and use of the public water;
supply with a demand on the latter of about 430 mega litres per day, or 10% of all industrial use;
A significant source of waste generation accounting for about 10% of the industrial and commercial waste stream and of particular importance for certain priority waste streams, notably packaging;
Responsible for 25% of all HGV vehicle kilometres in the UK;

Energy use and climate change

It is suggested that as much as 20-25% saving in energy usage could be achieved in the retail sectors through improved management and maintenance practices, more efficient refrigeration plant, improved lighting systems and integrated heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Waste

There are 3 challenges for the industry:

Packaging: the food industry is a major user of packaging (it protects products from damage and contamination and helps avoid wasted product). The industry carries substantial obligations, linked to EU rules, to undertake or to pay for recovery and recycling of packaging wastes;
Food industry wastes: much of the industry’s waste is biodegradable waste food and associated by-products for which there is an imperative for disposal away from landfill, where they can generate greenhouse gases, into recycling and composting, for example, where value can be derived; and
Influence over household waste: much of the waste arising in the home starts as food industry products and packaging purchased from the major supermarkets. The food industry is therefore in a unique position to influence household behaviour for the better, through product and packaging design, marketing and other channels of consumer communication; and store-based activity such as waste recycling collection points.

The challenge is for the food industry to reduce the amount of food and packaging waste that is produced each year, both by the industry itself and by consumers of their products, without compromising food safety; and to recycle or otherwise gain value from the waste that does arise.

Targets have been incorporated into Regulations which implement the EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging waste. By 2008 the following requirements will apply:

60% of packaging waste by weight will be recovered;
55% will be recycled overall; and
60% of paper and glass, 50% of metals, 22.5% of plastic and 15% of wood will be recycled.

Water

The food industry in England and Wales is estimated to use 430 megalitres per day from the public water supply (10% of industrial use). It is also estimated to make direct abstractions of 260 mega litres of water per day (about 10% of the total abstracted).

Action Point

To adjust to pressures on supplies of water and to bear its share of the reduction in water use, the industry as a whole needs to reduce its use of water by 10 - 15% by 2020 and by 20 - 25% in the South East. This requires long-term change in production methods whilst preserving essential food hygiene and safety. It is agreed that a process of discussion between Government and industry should be instituted on the feasibility of these targets and to identify means of achieving them. To report by spring 2007.

Transport

Research published in 2005 shows that since 1978 the annual amount of food moved in the UK by HGVs has increased by 23%. In addition, the average distance for each trip has increased by over 50%. Its key findings are:

“Food miles” are significant and growing. They accounted for 33 billion vehicle kilometres in 2002, of which 82% occurred in the UK. Air freight of food accounts for only 0.1% of the vehicle kilometres and 1% of the food miles tonne kilometres.
“Food miles” are a significant source of CO₂ emissions. They gave rise to around 20 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions in 2002, of which 10 million tonnes were emitted in the UK and the remainder overseas. They account for 1.8% of the total annual UK CO₂ emissions.
“Food air miles” have the highest relative CO₂ emissions and are the fastest growing mode of transport. Air freight accounts for 10% of the food miles CO₂ equivalent emissions.
The environmental, social and economic costs of “food miles” are very large. The external costs of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, noise, congestion, accidents and infrastructure associated with food miles are estimated at just over £9 billion pounds each year, though considerable uncertainty is attached to this value.

The relationship between the distance travelled by food and the associated external costs is often extremely weak. Well over 50% of the total external costs associated with the transportation of food arise from domestic congestion. By contrast, the transportation of imported agricultural produce by sea accounts for only a fraction of total external costs.

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