On the day a delegation of business leaders, including Tesco executives,
meet the Prime Minister to discuss climate change issues, Scotland’s
farming union has reminded the major supermarkets that they can play their
part by backing local food.
With increasing concern over ‘food miles’ and the environmental
damaged caused by importing food into the UK from around the world, NFU Scotland
believes that by supporting home-grown food and drink, instead of foreign
imports, the major supermarkets can cut carbon dioxide emissions dramatically.
NFUS Vice President Jim McLaren said:
“Tesco’s commitment to doing its part for the environment is
welcome. However, the major supermarkets must remember that they can play
a huge role in cutting unnecessary, but highly damaging, emissions by buying
local. A combination of high quality local food and increasing consumer demand
for home grown produce presents a real opportunity for supermarkets to lead
the fight against climate change.
“We will always have to import certain foods, however it makes no
sense to import beef from halfway round the world and burn fossil fuel in
the process when we produce quality beef to the highest standards on supermarkets’ doorsteps.
“We know from speaking to suppliers that they are facing massive financial
pressure as a result of the supermarkets’ willingness to source cheap
imports. The implications of that in terms of lost jobs, reduced domestic
food production and increased environmental damage are clear.
“Not only do we have concerns over the environmental standards of
production abroad, particularly in countries like Brazil, but the importation
of food that we can produce in this country unnecessarily pumps million of
tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
“We are becoming a nation overly-reliant on imported food. That carries
a massive environmental cost which is easily alleviated if both government
and supermarkets have the will to do so.”
(Source: Farmers Weekly. NFUS is backing Farmers
- Food miles are the measurement of the distance food travels
between farm gate and plate.
- The tonnage of food travelling
by air has increased by 140% since 1992.
- For the UK, the value of food
imports over exports has doubled in seven years, reaching £12.3 billion
play key role in climate change solutions