The Food Mile debate, Excel London 17 November ,Can Counting Food Miles do More Harm Than Good?
For those of us trying to make more sustainable choices within our daily lives, the decision to buy local produce appears to be an obvious next step. The transportation sector contributes nearly one quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries. It seems logical then that cutting down on the distance between consumers and producers should also have a direct impact on emissions. For this reason the last few years have seen a push for food miles labeling particularly in Europe. However, many critics of food miles feel that this system is at best tokenistic and in some cases does more harm than good.
The food miles debate highlights a clash between differing sustainable development agendas. From an environmental perspective, encouraging consumers to alter their purchasing patterns and limiting transportation emissions can only be a good thing. However, from an economic development point of view, food miles labeling can damage important industries in poor countries.
Many development oriented organizations argue that public concerns over food miles could have serious consequences for poorer nations. In a number of countries, including Burundi, Ghana, Malawi, Nicaragua and Panama, food exports make up more than 75% of their overall merchandise exports
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on Sep 6 2011. Filed under Europe, Events, Fresh Produce, Hardware & DIY, Retail News, Supermarkets.
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