Informing the debate on net zero in the UK food industry

One current conversation is with the Institute for Grocery Distribution (IGD), which recently outlined its transition plan for the UK food system to reach net zero by 2050.

This report matters because retailers are important customers and it may influence policy makers. In it, 17 steps the Government can take are outlined to enable this change, with a focus on agriculture and energy.

The report highlights that the whole supply chain needs to work together in a systems approach to reach net zero, and it highlights that farmers will need financial support and incentives. We certainly agree.

Imports and domestic supply

We also appreciate the report covering the importance of a level playing field between imports and domestic supplies, an issue which we raised with the authors. We believe there needs to be parity between domestic produce and imports, to avoid damaging our domestic industry and simply offshoring emissions and other environmental impacts.

We also welcome the proposals for further support for the export of our products.

Another positive is the authors have reflected UK production and consumption are separate issues. The UK is able to produce high-welfare, low-environmental-impact food, and we should seek to export these products and replace imports of lower standards, regardless of domestic consumption levels.

Carbon sequestration

The report also raises the need to resolve the position on carbon sequestered in soil. This is critical. The potential for removing carbon by how farmers farm their land is vast and something other parts of the supply chain cannot do. Our baselining pilot, involving more than 170 farms across England, Wales and Scotland, might provide a solution.

Standardised data

Making farm-level data more standardised is another welcome point, and you can read more about our thoughts in our report: Benefits of creating ecosystem for farm-level environmental data. With an accurate picture of the impact of farming on the environment, the supply chain can develop a more targeted approach to achieving net zero, including providing incentives and premiums for farmers’ actions.

Red meat and dairy in the diet

Where there is a lot more controversy is around the points raised on diet change and eating less meat and dairy. We fed back on a draft version of the report emphasising the need for balanced debate about the level of consumption in the UK. As a levy board, we have pointed out that the positive role red meat and dairy plays in diets should not be underestimated.

Lean red meat and dairy can form part of a healthy and sustainable diet, and contribute essential nutrients, such as iron, zinc, calcium, iodine and vitamin B12. These are micronutrients often lacking in people’s diets, particularly in nutritionally vulnerable groups.

Methane emissions

We have also pointed out that if ruminant-based global meat and dairy consumption remains stable, it would not increase warming (assuming some efficiencies are made on farm).

This is not recognised in the way methane emissions are currently normally accounted for (What is GWP?). Some will accept this point but still want to see consumption fall as they believe fossil fuel use cannot be reduced quickly enough to protect us from climate change without cutting down on livestock production.

The debate around the challenge to reach net zero will not go away, and we will continue working on behalf of levy payers to ensure the facts about agriculture and the positive role it can play in protecting our environment, as well as supporting human health, are fully understood.