The size of the problem It is estimated that globally we waste about a third of all food produced. This food could feed about three billion people annually. If food waste was a country it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases roughly on a par with India or the whole of the EU. The value of the edible food wasted in the UK is estimated to be well over £20billion annually. This is equivalent to several hundred pounds per person each year. Format each of your he

UK farmers face a wide range of regulations and laws covering the treatment of animals, food safety, consumer standards and the protection of the environment. One issue that most people agree on is that it doesn’t make sense to allow any imports to have lower standards than exist in the UK as this just undermines our own farmers and poses risks to citizens. A key area of this legislation relates to food biosecurity standards and the need to maintain strict, science-based cont

This might seem an odd question to ask given that you can go to any supermarket and get a vast choice of foods at very competitive prices. However, when you look at some of the facts about our food system the reality is quite alarming. Obesity and diet-related diseases like diabetes are a major problem in the UK. We have very high rates of obesity, with two-thirds of adults either overweight or obese. One in five children start primary school overweight or obese, and the figu

There are lots of reasons cited for eating less meat ranging from concerns about animal welfare to health issues. Increasingly it's the impact of meat production on climate change that is being highlighted. Meat production uses more energy, water and land than plant based foods and is a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. According to UN figures about 14% of all emissions come from meat production. However, if you look at the data there are lots of complexities. Th

Impact of food on green house gases Assuming the cost is similar, most of us would like to be greener but often it’s unclear what the...