Sustainability

Policy experts have called for a coherent food policy as dark clouds gather

UK food policy is urgently needed

By Rick Pendrous

Government has been slammed by policy experts for its failure to publish clear direction for the future of UK farming and food.

Soil degradation costs the farming sector £250M a year

Tax relief needed for sustainable production

By Noli Dinkovski

Food and drink firms should be given tax relief to help them invest in improving both production and the environment, a green think tank has claimed.

Unilever's Leatherhead site was one of five sites that became 100% carbon neutral in energy

Unilever’s energy sourcing becomes carbon neutral

By Matt Atherton

Unilever UK & Ireland has become carbon neutral from energy sources at five of its UK and Ireland plants, while its parent company commits to using only recyclable plastic packaging by 2025.

One third of shoppers choose brands they believe are good for the environment (Flickr/Tom)

Sustainable food brands offer £837bn opportunity

By Matt Atherton

Food and drink manufacturers could benefit from a £837bn opportunity by making their brands’ sustainability credentials clearer, Unilever revealed, after researching global consumers’ buying habits.

The CPRE was accused of not thinking about food security in its New model farming paper

UK farming report slammed by National Farmers Union

By Gwen Ridler

Policy pressure group Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) was criticised for not considering food security in its paper, ‘New model farming: resilience through diversity’, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Britain's sustainable food future may be under threat from cuts to agritech

Agritech funding cuts will damage the food supply chain

By Rick Pendrous

The future of the UK’s agricultural technologies (agritech) strategy has been called into question after last year’s “savage cuts” in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ budget, which is likely to feed through into a reduction of its...

Mars has formed the first global standard for sustainable rice with the Sustainable Rice Platform

Mars announces sustainable rice partnership

By Michelle Perrett

Mars Food, the owner of Uncle Ben’s, has announced the first global standard for sustainable rice in partnership with the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP).

Industry leaders need to focus on environmental and social, as well as economic, concerns, researchers urge

Sustainable supply chain ‘must be led by bosses’

By Rod Addy

Business leaders have been called on to spearhead the development of a sustainable supply chain by concentrating on their ‘triple bottom line’ following a three-year project tackling the subject.

Grants of up to £50,000 will be given to food and drink firms to grow

Truss’s £50k grants to create 3,000 food jobs

By Nicholas Robinson

Cash injections of up to £50,000 will be given to small food and drink firms, following the creation of six new Food Enterprise Zones by the environment secretary Elizabeth Truss.

European RSPO on palm oil took place in London on June 4

European RSPO 2014

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in pictures and quotes

By Nicholas Robinson

A heated panel debate over the reality of a consumer industry based on 100% sustainable palm oil broke out at the European Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil held in London last week.

Delegates at the European Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil debated sustainable palm oil in London this week

European RSPO 2014

Sustainable palm oil pressures worrying to emerging economies

By Nicholas Robinson

Food businesses and consumers don’t understand the impact emerging economies could face if pressure to source 100% sustainable palm oil builds too quickly, Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) sustainable development manager Fiona Wheatley claims.

Kendall is the new chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board

Peter Kendall to chair AHDB

By Laurence Gibbons

Former National Farmers Union (NFU) president Peter Kendall has been appointed as the new chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (ADHB) for a three-year term.

The partnership will help Unilever deliver on its sustainability pledge

Unilever’s new partnership to tackle long-term issues

By Laurence Gibbons

Unilever and the University of Manchester will tackle long-term issues facing the food and drink sector, such as sustainable consumption, as part of their partnership agreement, signed last week.

Certificate of approval: Andy Green presented the certificate to Liz Moore

Warning: get sustainably certified or lose business

By Lorraine Mullaney

Food manufacturers have been warned to get sustainably certified or lose business, as the deadline approaches to meet retailers’ 2015 commitments to source sustainable produce.

Effective disposal of waste packaging is critical

Waste of breath?

By Laurence Gibbons

Communicating with consumers is one route to more sustainable packaging, reports Laurence Gibbons

Dan Crossley, the Food Ethics Council's new executive director

The only way is ethics

By Gary Scattergood

Meet the man with big ideas to ensure fairness and sustainability are key features in the global food chain. Gary Scattergood reports

All food firms needed sustainable engergy policies – regardless of their size – said Atlas Copco

Small food firms miss out on energy savings

By Laurence Gibbons

Small food and drink manufacturers (SMEs) are missing out on potential cost savings and damaging their reputations by failing to apply the latest energy-saving technology, claims compressor maker Atlas Copco.

The GCA will hold the key to fining supermarkets

At last: power to fine supermarkets

By Rick Pendrous

Responding to widespread calls, the government has announced that the watchdog proposed to police the Groceries Supply Code of Practice will have the teeth to fine supermarkets that abuse power.

Glanbia processes one third of Ireland's milk

Grass roots

By Lorraine Mullaney

The Emerald Isle's green and natural lands form the roots of its plans to become a world-leading exporter of sustainable food and drink, reports Lorraine Mullaney

Owen Patterson, DEFRA secretary of state

DEFRA ministers: Who does what

By Mike Stones

Ministerial responsibilities in the newly reshuffled Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have been revealed.

Abeysuriya will be discussing the research at the Pira Packaging Summit

Shoppers filter out sustainable claim

By Paul Gander

Brands that go out of their way to explain on pack the sustainability of their product or packaging could be wasting their time, according to new consumer research.

Barry Callebaut has seen positive results from training farmers

Barry Callebaut's cocoa training

By Lorraine Mullaney

Chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut is working with the Rainforest Alliance to train Cameroon farmers and improve traceability of cocoa supply.

Packaging's primary role is to protect food

Hot on the case

By David Burrows

Packaging is a hot topic for consumers and hence manufacturers, reports David Burrows.

Fairtrade schemes are needed to avert serious global shortages of the

Mars urges action on cocoa to beat shortage

By Rick Pendrous

Urgent action was necessary to avoid the “bleak situation” of a serious global shortage of cocoa supplies within a decade, Fiona Dawson, president of Mars Chocolate UK, warned yesterday (June 12).

Spelman called for the

DEFRA minister Spelman urges action after Rio+20

By Rick Pendrous

Environment secretary Caroline Spelman has challenged governments, business and environmental groups around the world to reach a consensus on measures to ensure a more sustainable global food supply chain when world leaders meet at the Rio+20 Summit in...

The government's record in helping food manufacturers and consumers cut waste is

WWF slams government on sustainable food

By Freddie Dawson and Mike Stones

Environmental pressure group WWF has slammed the government for its “woefully inadequate” record in helping meat processors cut meat waste and consumers eat less meat and fewer livestock products.

Lack of funding threatens to choke food and drink manufacturers' ability to the economy out of recession

‘Timid’ bankers threaten food export-led recovery

By Freddie Dawson and Mike Stones

Lack of investment from risk-adverse bankers is threatening food and drink manufacturers’ ability to spearhead the export-led economic recovery long predicted by government ministers.

A lack of global resources means firms will have to change their methods, according to Neath

Food manufacturers must adapt to lack of resources

By Rod Addy

Dwindling global resources will force food manufacturers to radically change the way they do business in the next few years, according to Gavin Neath, Unilever’s senior vice president of sustainability.

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