Archived press release

Defra's vision for sustainable food

10 August 2009

Commenting on a package of documents published by Defra today [Monday 10 August] outlining the latest stage of the Government's vision of a sustainable food system, Friends of the Earth's Senior Food Campaigner Clare Oxborrow said:

"The Government is finally waking up to the fact that food security is a UK issue, but it has failed to introduce decisive policies to tackle the food industry's global environmental impacts and to secure sustainable and fair food supplies.

"Ministers are still fixated on genetic modification but this isn't a solution - GM crops do not have higher yields and the mythical drought and salt resistant crops still exist only as expensive PR promises rather than commercial reality.

"Although it has recognised the need to cut carbon emissions from the food industry, the Government has neglected to set out plans for the most damaging sector - meat and dairy - which creates more climate-changing emissions than all the world's transport.

"Growing soy for UK animals in intensive farms is driving deforestation and biodiversity loss in South America - the best solution is a switch to small- scale, local farming and home-grown feeds. We should support farmers in the UK to produce planet-friendly food that will boost the economy, cut carbon emissions and improve food security.

"And the Government must introduce a supermarket watchdog to ensure a fair deal for British farmers and shoppers alike."

In particular, Friends of the Earth is concerned that the Government has:

• Failed to recognise the global impacts of food production and consumption -
especially from the meat and dairy industry

Defra says the use of energy intensive fertilisers and generation of methane emissions at home and abroad exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions, as does displacement of forests by agricultural expansion. Mitigating the effects of climate change requires us to rely less on fossil fuels to ensure our production, distribution, storage, and retail activity throughout food supply chains.

While noting the global footprint of UK food production and consumption, the food security assessment neglects the impact of intensive meat and dairy and fails to make policy commitments to address it. Globally, the livestock sector requires ever-increasing quantities of energy, land and water, and leads to biodiversity loss and climate change emissions. The UK's reliance on imported animal feed is driving deforestation in South America as forests are cleared for soy production.

Friends of the Earth believes the Government's Food Strategy must tackle the hidden impacts of meat and dairy by measuring and reducing the global footprint of the supply chain, supporting alternative home-grown feeds to soy, and shifting taxpayers money from factory farms to small-scale planet-friendly systems.

• Overplayed the importance of GM - particularly regarding the availability
of animal feed

Defra says "if soya feed imports from South America were curtailed because of problems with the EU GM regime, it could have a serious effect on livestock production. There would be little scope for alternative soya supplies, and use of other protein feeds would cost more and be less efficient."

Friends of the Earth says this argument has long been used by the GM and animal feed industries to weaken the EU GM approvals system. However, Brazil and Argentina take into account GM food and feeds approved in Europe before starting to grow new GM varieties that wouldn't be accepted here. There is also currently plenty of non-GM soy available for EU markets but we urgently need Government action to reduce reliance on imported soy in the long term, because of the impact soy expansion in South America has on forests and livelihoods. Instead it should promote alternative, home grown animal feeds and grass-based systems.

• So far failed to establish a supermarket ombudsman

Defra says "We are grateful to the Commission for its work on this important market and will consider carefully the Competition Commission's findings and recommendations. The concept of an Ombudsman for the grocery market raises complex issues which impact on consumers and the wider economy."

Friends of the Earth called for the Competition Commission's thorough two-year investigation into the grocery market which concluded that a supermarket watchdog is vital to stop the abusive buying practices of the supermarkets against their suppliers and is entirely in the best interests of consumers. The cost of an Ombudsman is dwarfed by the profits of the big four supermarkets, and there is no evidence it would lead to increases in consumer food prices. With many farms going out of business because of unfair terms of trade with supermarkets, a fairer system for farmers is vital to ensure continued food production in the UK. Friends of the Earth wants to see the Government urgently commit to an independent supermarket watchdog to ensure a fair and secure food supply chain.

Notes to editors

1. Friends of the Earth's Food Chain Campaign is calling on MPs to reduce the
environmental and social damage caused by the intensive meat and dairy industry.
For more information on these impacts, see Friends of the Earth's What's feeding our food? report at www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/livestock_impacts.pdf

2. 241 MPs have signed Early Day Motion 845 which raises awareness of the
environmental and social damage being driven by the global meat and dairy industry and calls for action.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust