Press Release
17 September 2007
Fair and Accurate Food Pricing Needed to Protect Environment and Support
Poor Farmers
UK Trade and Development Minister Gareth Thomas today called for
fair and accurate pricing that reflects the true carbon footprint of all the
food we buy.
Speaking in London at a debate on food miles and the value of organic exports
for farmers in developing countries, Gareth Thomas said it was important the
true carbon footprint of food production and transportation was considered.
Gareth Thomas said:
“Food miles alone, or the distance food has travelled is not the best way to
judge whether the food we eat is sustainable. Driving six and a half miles to
buy your shopping emits more carbon than flying a pack of Kenyan green beans to
the UK.
“We need a better informed food miles debate. Long term, the only fair option is
to ensure the prices of the goods we consume, including organic produce, cover
the environmental costs wherever the goods are from. We also need a labelling
system that tells consumers about how the product is reducing poverty.”
At the debate, the International Trade Centre released preliminary findings
of a research project on developing countries’ and the UK organic produce
industry’s reliance on air freight. These indicate:
- 83% of air-freighted organic produce to the UK comes from developing
countries;
- 5,000 tons of organic produce was flown into the UK in 2006 (3% of
total import);
- Exotic fruits, peas and beans and salad vegetables dominate the UK
air-freighted organic import trade;
- Any withdrawal of organic certification from air-freighted fruit and
vegetables would have disastrous long-term impacts. Demand for
air-freighted organic fruit and vegetables is growing particularly for
ready-to-eat fruits and salads, which mean work for farmers and jobs for
food processors. The products can only be air-freighted and the market’s
potential growth will be cut short by an air-freight ban.
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Speaking at the launch, Gareth Thomas said:
"Almost a million African farmers and their families rely on the fruit and
vegetable trade with the UK, and depend on their earnings to get their children
through school and to care for them when they are sick. This is an export trade
success story – and it’s Africa doing it for itself – creating jobs, trading
with others – and it’s one of the reasons why African economies are growing
around 5%."
"The Department for International Development supports farmers across Africa to
access UK and European markets. We are also working with food retailers in the
UK to encourage them to develop stronger links between their farmers in Africa
and shoppers in the UK."
Alexander Kasterine, an expert on trade and environment at the International
Trade Centre - a Geneva-based agency of the United Nations and the World Trade
Organisation - said:
"Organic certification has been hugely successful in reducing poverty for
thousands of African farming families. Any ban on air-freighted products could
be catastrophic for these people whilst making no contribution to mitigation of
climate change."
Ernest Abloh, Chief Agronomist of
 Blue Skies Ghana, which provides support to
over 150 farmers, 78 of which are organic farmers, said at the debate:
“Our fruit factory employs 1,700 people and annually injects over £2 million
into the local community through salaries alone. We believe that looking after
the environment is paramount to our future. The impact of our trade on global
warming should take into account the entire ecological footprint of a product."
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Notes for Editors
1. Produce flown in from developing countries such as Africa can have lower
carbon emissions than produce which relies on energy-intensive farming
techniques such as heated greenhouses.
2. Research shows that organic production for export from developing countries
can be more profitable than conventional farming and that the numbers of small
farmers entering organic supply chains is growing.
3. The International Trade Centre, Geneva, commissioned the Danish Institute for
International Studies to carry out the research. Preliminary findings from the
research are available via
http://www.intracen.org/
For further information, contact Heather Pillans on 020 7023 1752 or 020 7023
0600, e-mail pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk
or call our Public Enquiries Point on 0845 300 4100.
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