Archived press release

Go to our press releases area for our current press releases.

Olympics food vision breaks 'low-carbon games' promise

7 December 2009

Responding to London 2012's food vision, Sandra Bell, food campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said:

"London's Olympic bid was built on the promise of a low-carbon games that has quickly been broken.

"Food production is responsible for a fifth of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions and we urgently need to switch to planet-friendly food and farming to prevent catastrophic climate change - but the massive Olympic food budget is being spent rewarding the status quo.

"While some of the food supplied will be British, there has been no real commitment to reduce the use of meat reared on imported animal feed - the production of which is destroying rainforests in South America.

"Three big multinational brands will profit from a large proportion of food sold, creaming off profits that should be supporting local businesses and British farmers that are already going beyond these standards to produce food without trashing the planet."

Notes to Editors

1. Friends of the Earth's Food Chain Campaign is calling on the Government to reduce the environmental and social impacts of meat and dairy production www.fixthefoodchain.co.uk

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust

Last modified: Dec 2009