Consumer efforts in the United Kingdom to go green could spell the end of South Africa’s fresh produce appearing on their shelves. Environmental groups are campaigning to convince British consumers to buy local to avoid the costs of “food miles”, the distance food travels from field to plate.
Environmental groups say flying food long distances increases global warming. Tesco and Marks & Spencer have subscribed to the food mile philosophy and are looking at ways to reduce their food miles.
Critics call the food miles issue a new form of green protectionism, which is leading to the exclusion of developing countries. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel reportedly expressed his concern about the new green trend.
Annan Cato, Ghana’s high commissioner to the UK, asked: “At what cost to global justice do we shut the door on the economic prospects of small farmers in Africa by refusing to buy their produce?”
UK farming magazine Farmer’s Weekly said that if all foods are sourced within 20km from where they are consumed, the UK will save £2,1billion in environmental and congestion costs. The first step is to label produce to entice consumers to buy “greener” food.
Last month the UK’s main organic food inspector group, Soil Association, said food air-freighted to the UK from developing countries will bear an organic label only if it can be shown that it is produced to fair trade and high environmental standards.
Neil Oosthuizen, MD of Capespan, one of the biggest fresh produce exporters to the UK said: “Though it hasn’t had an impact on our business, it is something we cannot ignore.”
Another Cape producer said British consumers are being won over by misconceptions. “The British public wants to make a difference and environmentalists are telling them this is the way to do it. What they are not being told is what British farmers’ carbon footprint is, or that they probably emit more carbon by driving to the shops in their 4x4s.”
Studies in the UK show that 95% of the country’s fruit and half of the vegetables are imported.