This month we've seen shortages of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in supermarkets (fortunately no issues with muesli ingredients though), which has reignited a debate on local sourcing and food security.
Often it's assumed that local food is always better for the environment due to reduced "food miles", but this is a bit of an oversimplification. I explain about this in more detail below.
- What's happening the UK's food self-sufficiency?
- Do we need to produce more food in the UK?
- Are "food miles" a myth?
- Is it more sustainable to source locally?
Food security is declining
Almost half the food consumed in the UK is imported , with this figure increasing every year. Given our steadily increasing population and the finite area of farmland, the UK's ability to feed itself is becoming more limited.
What's the issue with relying on imported food?
As the global geopolitical environment gets more and more unstable, relying on complex international food supply chains seems like a risky strategy. Is it really viable to expect other countries (often with growing populations and their own environmental pressures) to continue to produce food for UK consumers? From an environmental point of view, there's a strong argument that the environmental impact of the UK's food is simply being displaced overseas.
Can imports help with food security?
Many people would point to the economic benefits that the UK market provides to food exporters. Likewise, access to global markets means that a poor harvest in one part of the world can be compensated for by imports from regions with a good harvest that year. In may ways, this helps food security, just as much as it hinders it.
Can the UK actually produce more? Do we need to?
Clearly then, for the UK to dramatically increase food self-sufficiency is going to be challenging, as farmers have to produce significantly more food from a smaller land area (due to environmental schemes, solar farms, bioenergy etc). A sensible goal to aim for, might be to limit any further decrease in the productive capacity of the UK farming sector, while meeting environmental targets.
Is local food better for the environment?
From an environmental perspective, the pros and cons of imported versus home grown produce is complex. Often on a purely carbon footprint basis, the climatic advantages of growing crops overseas can make for a lower footprint ( as growing the crop is by far the largest part of it's carbon footprint). On a per kilo basis, generally transport emissions make up a very small part of the carbon footprint of a crop (especially if it is not air freighted), so in reality the concept of "food miles" is flawed.
That said, a recent study by Mengyu et al. found that food transport emissions have been underestimated by as much as 7.5 times. This means that although still small compared to the emissions from growing the crop, transport emissions should not be overlooked entirely. It's also impossible to escape the fact that many agrichemicals and other practices that are banned in the UK are still used widely overseas.
Other reasons to source locally
Don't get bogged down in transport emissions though. There are some extremely important reasons why sourcing food via direct local or regional supply chains is vital in tackling climate change.
I've seen firsthand just how difficult it is for food and drink companies with complicated global supply chains, to implement sustainability measures and to support sustainable farming. In many cases, these companies only have a vague idea of who these farmers are and how they are farming. Consumers have no direct link to farmers and have no way of incentivising action.
In contrast, if you're sourcing locally or regionally, there is far greater transparency and accountability. Fewer intermediaries make for easier management and measurement of environmental impact (vital). There are also opportunities to reinstate the links between farmers and consumers in a way that is not possible otherwise. When it comes to tackling climate change, this direct relationship is vital in enabling and supporting farmers to take action.
I would strongly make the case that increasing local and regional sourcing of food in the UK is absolutely essential when it comes to tackling climate change. This is not because of the impact of "food miles" but because of the more direct links between producer and consumer and also the increased transparency and accountability that it bring.
This is exactly the reason why I source all my Oliver's Muesli grains and seeds as directly as possible for pioneering UK farmers via the wonderful people at Hodemedod's.