Environmental Impacts of Food Production and Consumption

Environmental Impacts of Food Production and Consumption
A research report completed for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by Manchester Business School December 2006

Aims & Objectives
This Report records the results of a research project whose aims have been:
• To inform government policy development to reduce the environmental impacts of food consumed in the UK, within the context of the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy, the Sustainable Food and Farming Strategy and DEFRA’s overall commitment to Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP).
• To provide the basis for development of information on more sustainable food choices. The information is also likely to be relevant to the food industry and public procurers.
Its specific objectives have been:
• To determine what evidence is available relating to the environmental impacts that occur in the life cycle of a product or product type, including consideration of fresh and processed goods, organic and conventionally grown produce, local and globally-sourced foods and comparing different sources of nutrition.
• To determine whether it is possible to identify the extent to which certain patterns of production, sourcing and distribution have a greater or lesser impact on the environment.
• To outline what level of environmental impact existing trends in food supply and consumption are likely to have in the future and to consider the extent to which lifestyle changes, which may be occurring for other reasons, may affect the environmental impacts of food consumption.
Almost all the Report deals with the first two objectives. Whilst there is some speculative literature concerning trends in food supply/consumption and life-style changes, there is insufficient to make little more than suggestions of the issues such trends and changes might suggest. We make further reference to this in the Conclusion to the Report.