Estimates reveal significant UK carbon footprint from food imports

The global impact of food imports in the UK has been estimated for the first time, revealing that 64% of greenhouse gases are emitted in foreign countries. The figures show that between 1986 and 2009, there was a 23% increase in land used to grow food that was imported to the UK, with 70% of that land located overseas. During 2008, the UK's food supply accounted for 21.9 megatonnes of greenhouse gases, 18% of which was emitted in South America, and 15% emitted in the EU. The research shows that the rest of the EU is following the same course. If the global environmental impact of food production is to be reduced, countries must look at the amount of carbon emissions produced overseas, particularly in developing countries.

Not much is growing in the UK – except its carbon footprint. The global impact of feeding the country has been estimated for the first time, revealing that 64 per cent of associated greenhouse gases are emitted abroad.

The UK now imports about half its food and feed. Between 1986 and 2009, the amount of land used to grow the country’s food increased by 23 per cent, with 70 per cent of it located overseas.

Soya beans used for animal feed, cocoa and wheat take up the most foreign land, and fruit and vegetables are increasingly sourced from Spain and other countries.

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In 2008, 21.9 megatonnes of greenhouse gases were linked to UK food supply. Of this, 18 per cent was emitted in South America, and 15 per cent in the European Union.

Other research suggests that the rest of Europe is following a similar trend. Governments need to pay more attention to the global impact of what we eat, says report co-author Henri de Ruiter at the University of Aberdeen.

“If we want to reduce the impact of our food consumption, it’s not enough to only look at domestic production,” he says.

Journal reference: Journal of the Royal Society Interface, DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.1001

Image credit: Mariana Greif Etchebehere/Bloomberg via Getty