NZ Lamb Has Lower Carbon Footprint than UK’s

From cod to clingfilm to New Zealand lamb, the advice UK consumers have been given can often be confusing, according to The Guardian’s Tony Naylor. If you’re serious about eating green, the publication offers some straightforward solutions.

“In food and drink, we all want to do the right thing. We want to shop and eat sustainably,” Naylor writes. “But, sometimes, it is easier said than done. Our willingness to jump on the latest eco-trends and unquestioningly accept reassuring labelling can lead to unintended consequences. If we are serious about eating green, we need to read beyond the headlines and think rigorously about how we apply ethical advice in our own lives.”

As well as setting readers straight about almond milk, bottled water and compostable packaging, Naylor recommends sticking to lamb from down under.

“Imported New Zealand lamb has a lower carbon footprint than British lamb, concluded a 2009 report for Defra. Kiwi lamb is reared at such a low intensity that, even after shipping, it uses less energy. Of course, there are other issues around sustainability that mean you may still want to support British sheep farmers, but that starkly illustrates how ‘food miles’ are no measure of a product’s green credentials, and that there are no easy answers to global warming.”

Original article by Tony Naylor, The Guardian, September 5, 2018.