Food and drink distribution strategy has 'fatal flaws'

Major flaws in the food and drink industry's ethical distribution strategy have been highlighted in a Food Ethics Council report published this month.

Food distribution: an ethical agenda is based on extensive work and contributions by retailers, processors, supply chain solutions providers and consultants and representatives from trade and industry bodies.

Its key findings are that government and industry have not adequately tackled the carbon emissions issue and have not recognised that consumer concern about food distribution is not simply about climate change.

Common errors made in devising sustainable food strategies include over-emphasising the benefits of local food supply chains, while ignoring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with food production. "There is more to sustainable development than carbon cutting, and even if you want to cut emissions, the big wins are around agriculture and production, particularly in meat and dairy, rather than transport and logistics," said Tom MacMillan, executive director of the Food Ethics Council.

Holes in calculating GHG emission targets, such as rising consumption outstripping efficiency gains and overseas emissions connected to UK processors, also need to be plugged, the dossier claims. It proposes that government should consider adopting a different model for sustainable development and should report total emissions, including those embedded in products, shipping and aviation. The authors also call for government to commit to an 80% cut in emissions by 2050.

"In food logistics and transport you have got an exemplary level of effort going into 'greening' and the environment, partly because of cost factors and efficiency gains," said MacMillan. "Yet despite that you've still got a real rise in the level of emissions. A lot of this comes down to governance, but it's partly also a conceptual question. It calls into question what a good business really looks like."

The report proposes that the Department for Transport prioritises rail and port development over airport or road. "It's important to think very carefully about how to move stuff around in a highly resource-strained world," said MacMillan.

The report suggests that larger businesses could share servicing and overheads with smaller local operators, while food retailers should challenge assumptions that products should be continuously available.