by Gareth Thomas*
Your report ...raises some important issues around the air-freighting of organic produce to the UK, especially in relation to "fears that some developing countries are in danger of losing markets due to new 'green' protectionism."
I am concerned about the livelihoods of farmers who cannot meet the cost of the additional certification that the Soil Association has proposed. As your report said, the new ethical standards "will demand that organic food producers in developing countries contribute substantially" to their local communities. However...certifying new products can take up to several years and cost thousands of pounds. The outcome of this is likely to be a reduction in the number of farmers who are able to export organic fruit and vegetables to the UK.
Almost a million African farmers and their families rely on the fruit and vegetable trade with the UK, and depend on their earnings to feed their families and get their children through school. These farmers are responsible for very few carbon emissions. In fact, produce flown in from developing countries such as Africa can often have lower carbon emissions than produce which relies on energy-intensive farming techniques such as heated greenhouses and road transport closer to home.
I appreciate the efforts of the Soil Association to raise the important issue of air freight and climate change, but this move will do little to solve climate change since less than 0.1% of UK greenhouse-gas emissions come from air-freighting fruit and vegetables to the UK from Africa. Driving six and a half miles to buy your shopping emits more carbon than flying a pack of Kenyan green beans to the UK. We shouldn't be unfairly penalising people in developing countries for climate change, especially as they're the least responsible for it.
The selective ban may turn consumers away from air-freighted fruit and vegetables in general, which would have an even more damaging effect on poor farmers in developing countries and the demand for their produce.
Your leader is right to suggest that "the information on food packaging is often unhelpful, because shoppers have no way of judging what it means". That is why the UK government is working towards a global system for pricing carbon that will eventually ensure that the prices of food and other products fully reflect their impact on the environment.
I will also continue to work... with retailers to support farmers from developing countries and to ensure their products remain in the UK supply chain.
Until this is in place, we urge shoppers to consider the jobs and livelihoods of the farmers who grow their food, as well as the environmental impact of the food industry, when deciding whether to buy imported produce.
*Gareth Thomas is the U.K. minister for trade and development