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Ref: 176/06
Date: 26 April 2006

From the farm gate to the plate: Margaret Beckett sets out goals for a sustainable food industry

A strategy to tackle the impact of the food industry on precious resources, such as energy and water, and its contribution to climate change, was published by Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, today.

The Food Industry Sustainability Strategy has been developed in partnership with the food and drink industry and others. It aims to improve the industry's environmental, social and economic performance, by developing a strong partnership between government and industry. It addresses all sectors of the food industry, beyond the farm gate to the consumer's plate.

The strategy's ambitions are for the industry as a whole to:

* reduce its carbon emissions by 20% by 2010 against a 1990 baseline;
* reduce water use by 10-15% by 2010 and by 20-25% in the South East of England;
* significantly reduce the environmental and social costs of its domestic food transportation by 2012; and
* the food manufacturing sector to reduce its food waste by 15-20% by 2010.

Mrs Beckett said:

ìAs an industry the food sector has a significant role to play in achieving a sustainable future for this country .

ìThere are many ways this can be done ñ whether it is by minimising packaging, making food transportation more efficient or reducing the amount of water the industry uses in its processes..

ìRising energy and water prices, not to mention the increasingly self-evident consequences of climate change, are timely reminders of the need for action.

ìSustainability requires behavioural changes, in particular the widespread adoption of best practice. We all have a role to play in meeting the challenge of sustainability.

ìThe Strategy will provide a framework for the food and drink sector to play its part by making sustainability its goal. It must be viewed as the beginning of a process - not the end.î

Closer working between industry and Government best practice programmes, such as the Carbon Trust, Envirowise and the Waste Resources Action Programme, will underpin the strategy. E ach programme has previously been provided with increased funding, including through the Business Resource Efficiency Waste (BREW) programme, to enable them to support the growing demand for their services.

Industry-led Champions' Groups will help to take forward work on: energy; water; waste; food transportation; corporate social responsibility; and ethical trading and a Programme Board will be established under Lord Bach, Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food, to oversee the Strategy's implementation.

The Strategy also aims to drive up performance in the areas of ethical trading, health and safety and equal opportunities - as well as science and innovation, workforce skills and the sector's efforts to reduce retail crime. Priorities include:

* doubling the amount or percentage of food in supermarkets covered by ethical trading schemes by 2008;
* halving the level of under-representation of women and ethnic minorities in skilled and administrative and managerial grades in the industry by 2010, benchmarked against their representation in the labour force;
* cutting all deaths and serious injuries per thousand workers in the food and drink industry by 10% by 2010;
* reducing by 40% the number of adult workers in the food retail and manufacturing sectors who lack qualifications at NVQ level 2 and above by 2010 against a 2003 baseline; and
* helping to improve the nation's nutrition and health, as set out in the 2004 Public Health White Paper;
* helping to reduce food borne illness, as set out in the FSA's 2005-2010 Strategic Plan.

A Food Industry Better Regulation Group will act as a high level forum through which industry and Government can work to improve the quality of regulation and enforcement impacting upon the food industry.

Notes to editors

1. Defra's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food recognised that more work would be necessary to ensure that all sectors in the food chain are covered by a challenging set of sustainable Key Performance Indicators. It also repeated a promise that the Government would work with business to develop a comprehensive Food Industry Sustainability Strategy to provide strategic direction and set priorities for the food and drink industry sectors beyond the farm gate (manufacturing, wholesale, retail and food service).

2. A draft Food Industry Sustainability Strategy was published for public consultation on 4 April 2005 following development with help from a Stakeholder Group chaired by the Minister for Farming and Food and Inland Waterways. News release 187/05.

3. Sustainable Consumption and Production is one of four key priorities of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy Securing the Future . Reducing environmental impacts throughout the food consumption and production chain, from primary production, transportation, processing, retailing and final consumption is an essential part of the delivery of the Government's overall sustainable consumption and production goals.

4. Case studies demonstrating what best practice can achieve are included in the strategy document.

5. BREW is the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme. HM Treasury asked Defra to develop the programme to return £284 million of the additional receipts from increases in Landfill Tax, from April 2005 for three years, to business, in a manner that will encourage and support resource efficiency. The BREW Programme has been developed in consultation with business representatives, Treasury and DTI to meet this need.

End

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Page published: 26 April 2006

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