Ausbuy

Food Miles - Protecting the Environment or European Farmers?

March 3rd, 2008

Ausbuy has always supported the environment and often sees parallels in the protection of the Australian economy and the protection of the Australian environment. We began researching the concept of Food Miles as a way for Australians to support local suppliers whilst also combating climate change.

At this stage we became aware of the possibility of misusing Food Miles as a hidden barrier to free trade.

Food miles is a concept of considering the distance a product needs to travel between manufacturing and arriving into your trolley, or “from paddock to plate”, and the toll this has on the environment.

The rise in global trade and multinational corporations means that increasing numbers of food products are travelling vast distances between production and consumption.  The term food miles was coined by Tim Lang (now Professor of Food Policy, City University, London) who said: “The point was to highlight the hidden ecological, social and economic consequences of food production to consumers in a simple way, one which had objective reality but also connotations.”

It has been claimed that missions from transport of goods from overseas consumer markets is a direct contributor to environmental damage.

Sourcing food locally means food does not travel huge distances from farm or factory to the supermarket. It requires less emissions, and therefore the cost to the environment is significantly less. It also supports the local economy and creates employment. Buying food locally from farmers markets mean the food miles have been almost completely wiped out, making your purchase a low food mile one.

Initially Ausbuy thought this concept an excellent one, and one that could encourage Australians to support their local economy whilst also considering the planet. Further investigation however has led to some doubts about just how ethical and principled the promoters of this concept are and how much this theory has been developed in order to disadvantage Australian and New Zealand producers.

Whilst any theory for change that means positive results for the planet should be taken very seriously Ausbuy feels it is important to note that the Food Miles concept, being promoted by European and American producers and governments, could also be a way to protect their domestic industries from Australia and New Zealand. As said by Scott Gallacher of Minter Ellison Lawyers: “There is a fine line between effectively combating climate change and recklessly protecting domestic industries from fair trade. Some of the tools being advocated and used to address climate change, particularly in Europe, appear to have crossed that line, with a new tyranny of distance being applied against Australian and New Zealand export industries….not based on any robust scientific analysis, the idea of ‘food miles’ has potential to inflict unfair discrimination on key Australian and New Zealand products.”

Research conducted by Lincoln University in New Zealand has comprehensively shown that the carbon footprint of New Zealand lamb, dairy products and apples is still far less than that of their European equivalents, even after their voyage to Europe. It has been calculated that the UK produces 35 per cent more emissions (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) per kilogram of milk solids than New Zealand and 31 per cent more emissions per hectare than New Zealand, even after including transportation from New Zealand to the UK. The reason is relatively simple – the New Zealand products have been produced much more efficiently than the European ones.

A report produced for the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that UK tomatoes are less environmentally friendly than tomatoes imported from Spain, because it takes less energy to grow tomatoes in Spain than in the UK. It was also noted that most of the carbon emissions associated with transporting food for consumption in the UK are actually produced by travel within the UK. Emissions were significantly lower for food transported to the UK by sea or air freight.

Needless to say none of these finding have been presented to the consumers being encouraged to shy away from Australian and New Zealand products for the sake of saving the planet.

Our government should further research this important debate to determine whether this is disguised protectionism dressed up as environmental concern. It is also important the message is conveyed to the public overseas.

Ausbuy will keep members abreast of any developments.

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