Food industry pledges fewer and friendlier food miles
Some 40 food and drink companies have this month pledged to make fewer and friendlier food transport miles, signing up to the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) Environmental Checklist and Clause for Greener Food Transport.22-07-2008
They say that this is the latest step by the food and drink manufacturing industry towards making a real difference to the environment as set out in FDF’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition. The signatories, including some of the biggest household brands in the world, have committed to using the ten point checklist. Signatories include: AnBirds Eye, Britvic, Cadbury, Kellogg’s, Kraft Foods and McCain Foods. This embeds environmental standards right into the heart of companies’ transport practices and includes contracts with third party hauliers to achieve fewer and friendlier food miles. The Checklist dovetails with the work being done by IGD on transport collaboration. By achieving fewer and friendlier food transport miles, companies believe will be making a real contribution to a food chain target to reduce environmental and social impacts of domestic food transport by 20% by 2012 compared to 2002. Iain Ferguson, FDF President said: “Transporting food and drink, like all other goods, has environmental and social impacts. Today FDF members are making a significant commitment to reducing these impacts, and are once again showing leadership on an important environmental agenda. The companies who have signed up to the Checklist and Clause today are the first of what we hope will be many more signatories to this commitment to achieving fewer and friendlier food transport miles.” Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Minister for Transport said: “Protecting the environment and developing sustainable transport systems, especially where distribution is concerned, are very topical issues and especially important for us at the Department for Transport. I was therefore pleased to read about the Federation’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition. In particular I welcome its goal for fewer and friendlier food transport miles which shows commitment to a transport policy that delivers economic growth and lower carbon emissions.” Lord Rooker, Minister of State for Sustainable Food, Farming and Animal Health said: “I welcome the industry’s new initiative to reduce its environmental impact through the publication of its ten point Checklist and Clause for Greener Food Transport. The food industry makes an important contribution to the success of the UK economy and it is good to see it also showing leadership in the delivery of a more sustainable future.”
