Marjolein Thickett 🌍 AITI

🍏 As a food and environmental assessment nerd, this is the data tool I've been waiting for... The Sustainability Assessment of Foods and Diets calculator from SLU - Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences allows you to compare the impact of different food and drinks across 8 environmental indicators and indicators for animal welfare and use of antibiotics, in 9 different European countries. There's a wide range of foods and drinks listed, from Tequila to Rabbit to Apple Strudel, or Meat Lasagna (with the biggest footprint I've found so far, at 7 kg CO2-equivalent per kg), as well as a breakdown of how different food groups contribute to different environmental impacts, like ammonia emissions or cropland use ⬇

21

1 Comment

A new veterinary agreement with the EU could significantly benefit the UK pig sector by reducing costs and bureaucracy. The Labour government's plan aims to cut red tape and boost British food exports. While the meat and livestock sectors welcome this move, there’s a strong emphasis on ensuring it doesn't compromise UK food safety. For more info, see the link in the comments. #Trade #GlobalTrade #Customs #TradeUpdates #CustomsNews #UKTrade #SupplyChain #Logistics

6

1 Comment

🌟 Climate consciousness in on the rise among consumers with more than half (52%) now prioritising products with climate footprint information. 🌍🌱 A recent survey by plant-based food company STRONG ROOTS sheds light on this growing trend among shoppers in the US, UK, and Ireland. #environment #climate #carbonfootprint #food #consumertrends

1

Advertisers should “avoid conflating” regenerative farming approaches with organic practices, the UK Advertising Standards Authority has told brands in new advice aimed “cultivating compliance” in the sector. The new advice is set out in an article published this week on the ASA’s website, which responds to grower usage of the term by the food industry. The article points out that, currently, no legal or universally agreed definition of the term exists, meaning that it likely to be used as descriptor in “wide-ranging ways and … with various possible interpretations”. So, while regenerative (or ‘regen’) agriculture is generally positioned as a climate-friendly way of farming, involving practices aimed at restoring the health of the soil and the entire farm ecosystem, it can take different forms. While typically involving some mix of limiting soil disturbance, maintaining year-round soil cover, promoting biodiversity and crop rotations, keeping living roots in the soil and integrating livestock and arable systems, not all regenerative farmers employ all these practices. Furthermore, the ASA points out, these practices in themselves do not provide any guarantee of soil or nature restoration. The advertising watchdog says regen brands should “suitably clarify the basis” for claims they make. Similarly they should avoid “cherry-picking or tokenism” (for instance making regen claims when only one or two of the previously mentioned farming practices have been employed. They should also avoid “absolute claims” – such as ‘regenerative’, nature-friendly’ or ‘sustainable’ – unless they can be supported with “a very high level of substantiation”. The ASA warns specifically against making misleading comparisons with others farming systems, such as organic. It notes that some regenerative farmers use chemical pesticides, such as glyphosate, which are expressly prohibited by organic standards. The watchdog also warns advertisers not to imply that regenerative farming carries any kind of formal or legal standard (unlike organic, which does have legal status in the UK and around the world). #regenag #regenerativeagriculture #organic #regen #claims #ASA https://lnkd.in/ebwYNs2c Soil AssociationOF&G (Organic Farmers & Growers CIC) Roger Kerr IFOAM Organics Europe Eduardo Cuoco Max Goldberg Paul Holmbeck Sarah Compson Ronald van Marlen

36

5 Comments

In the EU, misunderstandings regarding use-by and best before in food packaging are responsible for 10% of total annual food waste (European Commission, 2018). How to deal with this? Check out my second article on the Green Office Wageningen sustainability blog below. #sustainable #foodwaste #bestbefore #foodquality

13

🏷️ Labels should protect, inform, and educate – not confuse – consumers.   With over 50% of consumers finding plant-based ‘fish’ product labels “somewhat difficult” or “very difficult” to understand, could it be time to rethink plant-based labelling?   Evaluating the information included on these labels is imperative in providing a seamless shopping experience and ensuring that consumers choose the most suitable products for their dietary needs.   Find out more in Food Safety magazine 👇   #PlantBased #Vegan #Sustainability #Packaging #Manufacturing

1

New Innovation Forum podcast – Reality check: food sector regulation and the regen agri transition. This week: Lisa Spicka de Bevacqua (she/her), global director of sustainability consulting at auditor and certifiers NSF, talks with me about the trends in sustainability regulation in Europe and beyond. We discuss challenges in reporting and taking action, and how the impact differs for larger companies and SMEs.   Plus: Michael Shoemaker, CEO of farm data analysts Vayda talks with me about the ever-increasing importance of regenerative agriculture and what's driving this transition. Mike discusses the trend of over-focussing on carbon and how to appropriately put regenerative farming into practice.   And, Waitrose & Partners to support 2,000 UK farmers to adopt regenerative and low carbon farming practices; renewables account for 30% of global electricity generation in 2023; and, the The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) says Verra's updated Verified Carbon Standard means the high-integrity Core Carbon Principles, in the news digest.  

12

1 Comment

OF&G (Organic Farmers & Growers CIC) has published a manifesto targeting policymakers, which sets out a framework for radical policy change based on the four principles of the organic food and farming movement – health, ecology, fairness, and care. OF&G’s chief executive, Roger Kerr says the future of food and farming is becoming a political hot potato. “The nation’s seen huge upheaval in the last eight years. A flawed food system has left the country at the tipping point of catastrophic environmental and human health crises. Decisive action cannot come soon enough. We need policies that create jobs, improve rural livelihoods while delivering sustainable and economically viable food and farming systems,” says Kerr. “Restoring this balance and equity requires ambition and vision from Government. The long-term effects of recent policies are still unfolding, but the need for action is urgent. One thing is clear; we must aspire to accomplish more.” OF&G says that by considering organic’s four founding principles, its manifesto identifies solutions that address the “huge disparity” that exists in current food and farming systems. Follow the link below, to read the full story. 👇 #foodpolicy #organic #organicfood #ukgeneralelection https://lnkd.in/eCqu_Rfb

12

Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has estimated that the amount of wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape could drop by 4m tonnes this year, a reduction of 17.5% compared with 2023. The warnings come as farmers have borne the brunt of the heavy rainfall and bad weather experienced over the winter, with the UK experiencing 11 named storms since September. In England, there was 1,695.9mm of rainfall between October 2022 and March 2024, the wettest 18-month period since records began in 1836.

2

4 Comments

Advertisers should “avoid conflating” regenerative farming approaches with organic practices, the UK Advertising Standards Authority has told brands in new advice aimed “cultivating compliance” in the sector. The new advice is set out in an article published this week on the ASA’s website, which responds to grower usage of the term by the food industry. The article points out that, currently, no legal or universally agreed definition of the term exists, meaning that it likely to be used as descriptor in “wide-ranging ways and … with various possible interpretations”. So, while regenerative (or ‘regen’) agriculture is generally positioned as a climate-friendly way of farming, involving practices aimed at restoring the health of the soil and the entire farm ecosystem, it can take different forms. While typically involving some mix of limiting soil disturbance, maintaining year-round soil cover, promoting biodiversity and crop rotations, keeping living roots in the soil and integrating livestock and arable systems, not all regenerative farmers employ all these practices. Furthermore, the ASA points out, these practices in themselves do not provide any guarantee of soil or nature restoration. The advertising watchdog says regen brands should “suitably clarify the basis” for claims they make. Similarly they should avoid “cherry-picking or tokenism” (for instance making regen claims when only one or two of the previously mentioned farming practices have been employed. They should also avoid “absolute claims” – such as ‘regenerative’, nature-friendly’ or ‘sustainable’ – unless they can be supported with “a very high level of substantiation”. The ASA warns specifically against making misleading comparisons with others farming systems, such as organic. It notes that some regenerative farmers use chemical pesticides, such as glyphosate, which are expressly prohibited by organic standards. The watchdog also warns advertisers not to imply that regenerative farming carries any kind of formal or legal standard (unlike organic, which does have legal status in the UK and around the world). #regenag #regenerativeagriculture #organic #regen #claims #ASA https://lnkd.in/eTUGpWEt Soil AssociationOF&G (Organic Farmers & Growers CIC) Roger Kerr IFOAM Organics Europe Eduardo Cuoco Max Goldberg Paul Holmbeck Sarah Compson Ronald van Marlen

8

1 Comment

A study in systems theory and perception: "European and American farmers use orders of magnitude more fertilizer than producers in Sub-Saharan Africa, letting them enjoy world-leading agricultural yields. But for Western policymakers and activists, African farmers using more than a smidgen of fertilizer would be a climate nightmare. One thing should be crystal clear: These people are asking millions of Africans to go hungry, risk famine, and — at best — be dependent on food charity from rich countries." #agriculture #fertilizer #systems #sustainability #greencolonnialism

2

As part of a coordinated push on the UK market, Organic Sweden is bringing together nine companies under a shared pavilion at this week’s Nordic Organic Food Fair event in Stockholm (October 9-10 at Kistamässan in Stockholm). The pavilion is part of a broader push towards the UK, where the demand for organic and sustainable products is steadily increasing. Organic Sweden sees the UK market as a priority for Swedish organic exports and aims to strengthen ties with UK stakeholders through this project, which will run until 2026. The companies exhibiting at the stand include Berte Qvarn AB, Biofood, Camelina Of Sweden, Dig, Fazer Mills, Moonvalley, Nordic Chocolate, Oh Mungood, and Svenska LantChips AB. Together, they represent a rich diversity of organic products across various categories such as snacks, bars, cereals, oils, and plant-based alternatives. Commenting, Charlotte Bladh André, CEO of Organic Sweden, said: “We are excited to bring together some of Sweden’s leading organic companies under one umbrella and showcase the strong added values that come with organic production. Within the EU, strict requirements are placed on organic production, and through certification, Swedish organic companies can guarantee sustainable production that truly makes a difference for both the environment and the consumer." https://lnkd.in/eke_gtpW

6

Great to talk to 8point9.com / ffinlo Costain about the Agroecological Intelligence report - a deep dive into how UK agroecological farmers think and choose technologies for their farms and what key values inform those thoughts and choices. You can find the report at abiggerconversation.org

5

ICYMI.... the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), in collaboration with WRAP and EY, recently published a detailed net-zero analysis - the UK Food System Transition Plan - which concluded that supply-side measures to decarbonise the food system will not of themselves be sufficient to meet climate goals and that a shift in diets towards lower carbon foods will also be needed, along with a reduction in food waste. Specifically, the plan models the equivalent of a 20% reduction in red meat and dairy that is required to transition the food system to net-zero by 2050. This is not new news (it's a more conservative scenario than the 20% reduction by 2030 modelled by the Climate Change Committee). Still, the plan feels like a really significant intervention given that, to-date, industry-led/influenced net-zero roadmaps have largely failed to acknowledge the need to rethink what we eat (and their credibility has suffered as a result). The authors are careful to couch the narrative on diet in ways that make it more palatable to groups, such as livestock farmers, who would likely baulk at the suggestion that meat and dairy consumption needs to fall. They say diet change should not be at the expense of health outcomes, which are "complex and uncertain" and that it doesn't necessarily imply the need for reduced UK production of animal protein (since relatively higher welfare/environmental standards position UK producers to supply export markets). There is still legitimate debate to be had about the role of meat consumption in human nutrition and how livestock production can, in the right circumstances, contribute to wider ecosystem health (looking beyond a purely carbon lens). There will continue to be strong advocates for the role of red meat in diets, including from organisations – like the Sustainable Food Trust – who recognise the need to reduce meat consumption at a population level. But, as I argue in a comment piece for Footprint Media Group, what IGD’s analysis does mean is that any responsible business still hoping to wish away the need to support some degree of UK dietary change is slowly running out of road. https://lnkd.in/eytTupt5

10

2 Comments

Yesterday the FT claimed the UK could increase its agrifood exports by 22% if it harmonised its veterinary standards with the EU. This is Rubbish: 1. The UK does not have spare agricultural land to increase its agrifood production by 22% let alone increase its agrifood exports. 2. The UK is presently using 71% of UK land for agriculture but Defra is paying farmers to take farmland out of agricultural use. The UK's population is increasing by 750,000 immigrants a year – who all need to eat, so there will be even less excess production for export. 3. The UK’s production-to-supply ratio for all foods is only 60% now. And was only 60% when we were members of the EU – so this was not caused by border friction and would not change if we aligned our veterinary standards with the EU. 4. The only unprocessed agricultural commodities the UK regularly exports are barley, oats, lamb and milk. Of these, only lamb and milk could need a veterinary agreement BUT the UK has continued to export the majority of its lamb and milk exports to the EU since Brexit without a veterinary agreement. No EU country could supply Ireland with 750 million litres of milk each year for its butter and cheese factories if Ireland refused to buy UK milk. 5. Over 90% of UK food and drink exports are processed or highly processed foods – we do not need a veterinary agreement to export them. While aligning with EU agricultural regulations could potentially lower UK agricultural production by preventing the UK from using modern production methods including gene-editing. 6. Total meat and meat products, dairy products and eggs, and live animal exports to the EU are less than 1% of total UK goods exports, and less than 0.5% of total UK exports. Why would we align with the EU for such as small amount of our exports when we have continued to sell these goods to the EU without a veterinary agreement? 7. Aligning with the EU would only prevent a US trade deal, but a US trade deal would benefit the entire UK economy by much more than any drop in the UK's tiny agrifood exports. 8. The UK is a captured market for the EU's expensive food producers and a veterinary alignment would only continue this, keeping imported food expensive for UK households by preventing imports from cheaper producers. 9. The paper also predicted a 5.6% increase in EU sales to the UK, but they didn't mention that as the EU sells so much more food to the UK than it buys from the UK, a 5.6% increase in EU sales to the UK would be almost the same amount as a 22% increase in UK exports to the EU - that is if it were even vaguely possible for the UK to produce 22% more agrifoods - which it isn't. All details and citations in the article below #exports #agrifood #trade #UKtrade #DBT #FT #EU

93

64 Comments

🚨Meat industry lobbying alert🚨COP29 climate conference was swarming with biggest number of agribusiness lobbyists yet - including 52 delegates from the meat industry e.g. from JBS, the world's largest meat corporation. Overall, there were 204 agribusiness lobbyists, with nearly 40% of them travelling to the summit "with country badges – which lent them privileged access to diplomatic negotiations, up from 30 percent at COP28, and just five percent at COP27." "But while multiple studies and peer-reviewed science points to the need for a drastic drop in meat and dairy herds, and a shift to healthier, sustainable food as the surefire route to cut emissions, the agribusiness industry lobbies hard against tougher environmental regulations and dietary change, in the EU, U.S. and at climate summits." We need to reform COP climate summits to lock out lobbyists from polluting industries like fossil fuels and livestock! Read more from DeSmog: https://lnkd.in/evtYKgMB #food #meat #plantbased #lessandbettermeat #climatechange #climatecrisis #biglivestock #defundbiglivestock

114

6 Comments