Don't Be Fooled by 'food mile' fantasy
A new report from Oxfam warns consumers that boycotting imported food will hurt poor farmers and not stop climate change. Oxfam has appealed to shoppers not to fall for the ‘food miles fantasy’ that promises to save the planet but threatens to make life worse for thousands of poor farmers around the world.
As Fairtrade Fortnight kicks off in the UK, Duncan Green, Head of Research at Oxfam said: “Buying green is rightly at the forefront of consumers’ minds but rejecting foods on the grounds of how far they have travelled oversimplifies the issue, unfairly punishes farmers from poor countries, and may even lead to higher emissions.”
For example, growing roses in artificial conditions in Holland and transporting to the UK produces almost six times more carbon than growing them in the warmer climate of Kenya and flying them in.
The concept of ‘food miles’ does not take into account the amount of carbon that is generated during the production and retail process, and is therefore a misleading indicator for consumers of total carbon emissions.
Green said: “There are many more effective ways to tackle climate change by literally putting our own houses in order. For example, if everyone in the UK switched one 100W light bulb for a low-energy one, UK emissions could be cut by almost five times as much as would be saved by not purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables from Africa.”
Poor farmers in developing countries – who are already facing the brunt of climate change – face losing their livelihoods. There are an estimated 1.5m people in Africa who depend on agricultural exports to the UK for a living.
Green said: “Oversimplified concepts about how to tackle climate change are not only failing to give consumers the whole picture, but jeopardising the livelihoods of people who are already facing terrific challenges due to climate change. They are the least responsible for climate change and should not have to pay the highest price.
“The food miles debate needs to be looked at again to ensure consumers have the information they need to buy green without undermining the, often fragile, livelihoods of poor farmers around the world.”
Buying Fairtrade goods means people can help poor farmers around the world while also being mindful of the environmental impact of their purchase. Fairtrade schemes promote sustainable agricultural practices and help farmers get better prices for their crops. With Fairtrade premiums, farmers’ organisations have the opportunity to invest in their own environmental programmes, such as recycling, tree planting, installing solar lighting, providing fuel-efficient stoves.
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