FOOD MILES | HOW ARE WE DOING
Some facts and figures:
|
From the UK 33,000 tonnes of poultry meat to the Netherlands. 240,000 tonnes of pork from the EU. 125,000 tonnes of lamb from the EU. 126 million litres imported. |
To the UK 61,000 tonnes of poultry meat from the Netherlands. 195,000 tonnes of pork to the EU. 102,000 tonnes of lamb to the EU. 270 million litres of milk exported. |
Some facts and figures:
Food transportation, past and present
62%: the amount of food British farmers can produce. This makes us - in theory at least - more self-sufficient than we were in the 1950s.
Source: Food Climate Research Network 9 million tonnes: the amount of food, feed and beverages we exported in 2000.
3 million tonnes: the amount of food, feed and beverages we exported in 1980.
17 million tonnes: amount of food, feed and beverages we imported in 2000.
6.3 million tonnes: the amount of food, feed and beverages we imported in 1980.
In other words, both imports and exports, have roughly tripled in the last 20 years.
Source: Food Climate Research Network; HM Customs and Excise 2001
Source: Department for Transport 2005 15%: the increase in food miles in the ten years to 2002, leading to a 12 per cent increase in carbon emissions from food transport.
Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2005 20%: the decline in use of inland waterways over the past ten years.
Source: Department for Transport 2003
The environmental facts
Road freight
£9 billion: the annual cost of food miles to the UK, including time lost from congestion, road wear and tear, ill health from pollution and noise, and road crashes.
Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2005 898: the average number of miles we drive to shop for food each year, compared with 747 in 1992.
Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2005 25%: the percentage of food transport delivered by HGVs on British roads.
Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2005 15%: the estimated HGV mileage due to drivers getting lost.
Source: Telford and Wrekin Council Rail freight
23%: the amount of freight carried by rail in Germany - twice as much as in the UK.
Source: Rail Freight Group 8 times: rail-freight's external cost to the environment and the community (excluding congestion) is eight times less per tonne kilometre than air-freight
4 times: rail-freight's external cost to the environment and the community (excluding congestion) is four times less per tonne kilometre less than road.
Source: International Railway Union (UIC) 2000 23 g carbon dioxide: the average emissions for freight movements per tonne kilometre moved by rail.
178 g carbon dioxide: the average emissions for freight movements per tonne kilometre moved by heavy goods vehicles
Source: Strategic Rail Authority Air freight
900: flying 1kg of asparagus from California to the UK uses 900 times more energy than the home-grown equivalent.
Source: Independent newspaper 2005 13%: food accounts for 13% by weight of air-freighted goods worldwide.
47%: the percentage growth (by value) in the last three years of imports of food to the UK.
Food Climate Research Network