www.adas.co.uk

The Role of Local Food in Managing Carbon in the

Supply Chain

Carol Somper, Principal Sustainability Consultant

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Carbon in the supply chain….

Drivers changing the marketplace

What is “local food”?

Does local = low carbon?

Maximising the benefits from local food

Food is a global issue!

"The most political act we do on a daily basis is to eat, as our actions affect farms, landscapes and food businesses,"

Prof Jules Pretty, 2005

We’re running out of oil…..

40yrs left at current rate of consumption?

Source: Financial Times, June 08

We’re heating up…!

Extreme weather events doubling in frequency

How Carbon is changing the marketplace

UK Climate Change Bill

Carbon Reduction Commitment (2010)

EU & Global carbon trading

New Standards

Sustainable FoodEvidence suggests that what we eat has more impact on climate change than any

other aspect of daily life.

“The production, retailing, transport, packaging and preparation of food accounts for 31% of the EU's contribution to global warming.

Buying sustainable food reduces energy use and thereby reduces adverse environmental effects. Sustainable food can also support struggling rural areas.”

(National Assoc of Care Catering & Sustain, 2005)

What is “Local Food”?

There is no single definition of local food. Most widely accepted definition (used by farmers’ markets) is “food produced, processed, traded and sold within a defined geographic radius, often 30 miles.

Source: Defra (2003)

Characteristics of “local” Strong consumer interest in local food. Consumers have

a wide range of expectations of local food – delivering social, health and environmental benefits in addition to food itself.

Complex sector dominated by micro-businesses - mostly farmer/growers - seeking to add value to their products and who dominantly use direct and very short chain marketing to consumers.

Organisations and individuals, who facilitate links between enterprises at a local scale and provide conduits for co-ordination at regional and national level, play a central role in the sector currently and are essential for its further development.

INPUTS OUTPUTSBusiness

Emissions are Complex & Opaque

Does “local” = low carbon = sustainable?

Production end of supply chain accounts for 30-80% of emissions

Highly variable depending on soils, product and production process

Little to choose between conventional and organic systems of production

[Source: PAS 2050 GHG’s from food project

ADAS for Defra, 2008]

Ecosystem Goods and Services

Benefits of Local Food

Freshness and quality

Low ‘food miles’ and fewer emissions

Good for the local economy – suppliers & traders

Good for the local environment/ecosystems

Good for local heritage and ‘sense of place’

Healthier eating

Fairly traded

Reconnects local communities with the land

Security of supply

Less packaging & less waste

Does Local = Sustainable?

Maximising the benefits……

Establishing more accurate emissions data for primary production

Standardising measurement and performance in each sector at each step

Establishing and promoting local ‘value chains’