Government must lead the way to developing a food policy that moves beyond the current customer-focused, cheap food culture towards a more sustainable long-term system, according to a new publication released by the Food Ethics Council.
Government must lead the way to developing a food policy that moves beyond the current customer-focused, cheap food culture towards a more sustainable long-term system, according to a new publication released by the Food Ethics Council.
The report, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Chairtable Trust and sponsored by The Co-operative Group, presents findings from a two-year study involving interviews and roundtables with a range of stakeholders from across the food supply chain.
The publication calls for retailers to provide better product choices, such as supermarkets stocking only fair trade brands. It claims businesses ought to provide sustainable meals to their workers, and employees should lobby for sustainably sourced food and drinks and responsible pensions.
In what is likely to be the most controversial proposal, the report says governments can help by introducing sustainability taxes on unsustainably sourced food, using the revenue to prevent further ecosystem damage.
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Food waste has become a central issue for the sustainable food movement. It’s estimated that nearly half of the 4 billion tons of food produced around the world each year is wasted. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem, citing that as the world’s population approaches nine billion by 2050, wasting food makes no economic, environmental or ethical sense.
A number of studies are linking food losses and waste to food inflation, food security, resource inputs and climate change, and a growing body of evidence suggesting tackling food waste could help resolve many of the sustainability challenges faced by the food industry.
@Bart_King is a freelance writer and communications consultant. @mikehower contributed.
Published Feb 5, 2013 7am EST / 4am PST / 12pm GMT / 1pm CET
Bart King is the founder and principal at New Growth Communications. He specializes in helping sustainability leaders develop thought leadership content and strategy