The Food Industry Sustainability Strategy

Dr Andrew J DunnFood & Farming Group

Outline

• The context

• What is happening now

• Where are we heading?

Securing the Future

• ‘the goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations.’

Impacts of the food industry

• The food industry uses 14% of the energy consumed by UK businesses.

• 10% of all industrial use of water.

• Generates 10% of the industrial and commercial waste stream.

• 25% of all HGV vehicle kilometres in the UK.

• Employs 12.5% of the UK’s workforce.

FISS Aims

• Address strategic objectives and set priorities for improved sustainability in the food industry.

• Help to spread awareness and foster adoption of best practice.

• Encourage the sector to do more than the current minimum required by legislation.

• Provide focus on environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Champions’ Groups

• Energy Use and Climate

• Waste

• Water

• Food Transportation

• Ethical Trading• Corporate Social Responsibility

Research to support the Groups

• AEA Technology – Energy, waste and water

• Faber Maunsell – Food Transportation

• IGD – Corporate Social Responsibility

Recommendations

• 78 in all!

• 9 on expanding best practice.

• 35 building on existing and newly emerging policies and strategies.

• 34 new actions.

Energy, Waste and Water

• Can we establish base data?

• If so, can we monitor performance?

• Are the targets and KPIs appropriate?

• What progress can be made through best practice?

• What can innovation achieve?

• What are the barriers - how can they be removed?

• Where do the joint opportunities lie?

Energy use and climate change

Challenge: to improve energy efficiency to help meet the Kyoto goal of cutting CO2

emissions by 20% in the period 1990-2010.

Energy use and climate change

Actions: • Develop the evidence base• Agree voluntary energy efficiency targets• Develop mechanisms for monitoring

progress• Promote industry engagement

Data and Baselines

• Official data sources are limited and sometimes difficult to access.

• Good data for large companies but poor for SMEs.

• Data for some sectors is weak.

• Recommendations

Net trade 13%

Food chain greenhouse gas emissions100%

UK production 56%

Fertiliser and pesticides production

3%

Overseas transport

8%

Food services 16%

Food and manufacturing

10%

UK agriculture and fisheries

43%

Overseas production

17%

Food exports-12%

Food retail7%

Catering4%

Households 15%

Food shopping2%

Cooking, storage, waste

13%

Road freight within UK

5%

Energy – some thoughts (1)• Need to address barriers and think ahead

– 2010 to 2050.

• Long-term strategic engagement.

• Financial assistance.

• Need for stability.

• Clarification and simplification of schemes.

Energy – some thoughts (2)• Best practice should be able to achieve

10% energy savings.

• More savings will require plant replacement or new technologies.

• Refrigeration a key area.

• Trigeneration, anaerobic digestion and renewables.

Waste – the Challenge

• To reduce the amount of food and packaging waste that is produced each year, both by itself and by consumers of their products, without compromising food safety; and to to recycle or otherwise gain value from the waste that does arise.

Waste Action Point

• The food industry needs to contribute to sustainable waste management through:

– continuing to play its full part in the domestic packaging regime;

– reducing the food manufacturing industry’s own wastes by 15-20% by 2010;

– contributing constructively to Defra’s and WRAP’s work

Waste – some thoughts (1)

• Packaging - more major manufacturers signing up to Courtauld agreement.

• Best in class?

• Food waste, e.g. anaerobic digestion.

• Improved management of the supply chain – practice changes.

Waste – some thoughts (2)

• Ways to deal with mixed waste.

• Educating/helping consumers.

• Research needs.

• High-level commitment.

Water – the Challenge

• The challenge for the food industry is to reduce its current levels of demand for water - at all stages of the supply chain - by improving efficiency through the adoption of best practice – without compromising food hygiene.

Water Action Point

• To reduce industry use of water by 10 - 15% by 2020 and by 20 - 25% in the South East whilst preserving essential food hygiene and safety.

Water – inputs and outputsSteam

Rainwater

Mains water

ReservoirRiver, borehole or canal

Wastewater discharge

Inputs - water per kg

Outputs - water per kg

Recycled directly

Water – some thoughts• Regional targets inappropriate?

• Outcomes not number of visits.

• Raised awareness.

• Target high-use sectors.

• Re-use and recycling of water.

• New technologies.

Food Transportation – the Challenge

• To provide efficient distribution of food and drink to consumers that takes due account of the associated environmental and, social impacts) across the life cycle of the produce.

Food Transportation Action Point

• Reduce the domestic level of the environmental and social costs associated with the industry’s food miles by say 20% by 2012.

• Build on the logistical improvements of the last decade.

Transportation – some thoughts

• Transport collaboration.• Out of hours deliveries.• Logistics redesign.• Vehicle utilisation.• Fuel management/alternative fuels.• Supply chain demand.• Local sourcing.• Modal shift.

Examples of barriers

• Training - shortfall of skilled engineers.

• Management systems.

• Old plant/plant design.

• Lack of sub-metering.

• Unawareness of what help is available.

• Planning permission.

• Lack of financial incentives.

Ethical trading

• Ethical sourcing:• Reducing poverty in communities which create

links in the supply chain. Central to this is the respect for human rights within every link of the value chain;

• Recognising and working towards / within the finite limits to the planet's resources (one planet living); and

• Positive steps towards a very low carbon economy.

Corporate Social Responsibility

• BITC Plough to Plate Group.• IGD survey of attitudes.• Industry case studies.• Regional events.• Common ground with the Ethical

Trading Group.

What next?

• Champions’ reports to Ministers then out for consultation around mid-May.

• Summary Report to Ministers by end of May.

• Consultation finishes mid-August.

• Ministers’ conclusions mid-September.

• Take forward actions under the new Food Chain Programme.

Contacts

fiss@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Dr Andrew Dunn – 020 7238 5754

andrew.dunn@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Miss Bobbie Warwick – 020 7238 3192

bobbie.warwick@defra.gsi.gov.uk