Sustainability

Working towards carbon neutral

The agricultural, food, and catering sector are responsible for our own contribution to reduce the environmental imbalances which result in climate instability, biodiversity loss, pollution, water scarcity, and diminishing nutrition density. As a result of their extensive research, The United Nations Sustainable Development. Goals set out some actionable goals for societies, organizations, and governments to address these challenges.

One of the major targets is to mitigate the predicted atmospheric warming of 1.5˚c as predicted in the IPCC sixth assessment report within the next two decades by cutting carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. Calculations which took place in 2008 estimate circa 19% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from our food systems. By using carbon footprint calculators, we can measure the impact of our nutritious and climate-friendly meals. Understanding how to source local food to help reduce the carbon footprint, and when to procure from large-scale production can help balance the costs and dynamics of the supply chain due to the contribution to local communities, nutrition rich produce compared to those where efficiencies are beneficial due to the higher volumes involved. Switching to higher quality protein from mixed farming husbandry sources away from intensive livestock rearing and diary production systems can reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions along with harnessing sea and rail freight supply chains.

Deforestation is another major challenge, as it contributes to 70% of tropical deforestation. Overfishing has also depleted marine stocks by 90%. Destructive exploitation has been applied to the production some of the main agricultural commodities such as soya, palm oil, beef, pulp, timber, fish and paper. Going forward, applying a “less but higher quality” strategy is desirable.

In the hospitality sector, food waste is a major issue. WRAP calculated the UK foodservice and hospitality sector discards 1.1 million tonnes of food annually, of which 75% is potentially avoidable. Donating prepared, packaged food or large consignments of ingredients that have been correctly stored and within date to waste food collection organisations such as City Harvest can redistribute good food to welcome communities.

Measuring the impact of our actions is necessary to assess the true interdependencies within the natural world and consumer. By using the Global Farm Metric to set targets and communicate pledges, this can help us develop good intentions into measurable actions.

Measurement also leads us towards quantifiable improvement whilst distancing us from ‘greenwashing.’ In addition, The Science Based Target Initiative helps validate decarbonisation ambitions and ensures climate reduction targets are in line with the latest climate science.

Its timely for all of us to take a balanced approach towards our individual choices and as organisations and communities. Re-evaluating how society assigns value to nature and how society is prepared to value the health of our people and planet is key to our progression. Let good food not cost us the earth.