Food miles aren't the only factor, says Co-op Group

Detailed analyses of the carbon footprints of food and drink products were exposing a lot of 'lazy thinking' about the environment and local sourcing in particular, according to the Co-operative Group.

Co-op Group head of sustainable development Paul Monaghan said it was becoming increasingly clear that local sourcing was not always the most environmentally friendly option.

Speaking at The Guardian​ newspaper's climate change summit last month, Monaghan said: "If you want to support local businesses then local sourcing might be something you want to buy into. But if you think it is always the greener option, you are quite mistaken. There is simply no evidence that local sourcing is better for the environment."

He added: "We've done lots of studies looking at the carbon footprint of food products and a lot of it is actually quite counter-intuitive. Take Spanish strawberries versus Scottish strawberries. We haven't released the results of our latest studies yet, but I think you can predict the outcome of that particular example. Likewise, there is no evidence that switching to sugar beet instead of sugar cane [because beet is grown in the UK] is better for the environment. It's just lazy thinking."

Focusing on food miles to the exclusion of everything else was not helpful, he added: "No one is getting wound up about sourcing plasma TVs from South Korea, but Kenyan green beans? That's beyond the pale. It's just bonkers."

The recent Cabinet Office report reinforced studies by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, he said. It argued that there was little evidence that local sourcing was better for the environment than using more efficient national or distribution networks.