First Scottish foodprint published by Fife Diet and Climate Futures
19th August 2010
A Climate Futures carbon 'foodprint' has recently been published by the Fife Diet, the award-winning local food champions. The results show that by eating the Fife Diet way people are cutting their green house gas emissions by considerable amounts. A Fife Diet household sample showed an average foodprint which is approximately 27% lower than the UK average. Furthermore, the top 10 in this sample have a foodprint which is between 36% - 43% lower than the national average.
Equally as encouraging, the research volunteer sample has pledged to reduce its food impact yet further, by wasting less, eating local and organic, composting, eating less meat and growing their own. These would reduce emissions by a further 5%.
These reductions are very significant, as they are being achieved against the backdrop of a food system which is highly unsustainable and predisposes all of us towards a high foodprint. For example a report earlier this year showed that the food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint, according to a new report – How Low Can We Go? – published today by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN).
Climate Futures compared the carbon impact of the average Fife Dieter and average UK household, and savings from anticipated pledges.
Significant savings are being made by the average Fife Dieter below the national average, by eating less meat (539 kgCO2, 74% of savings), eating organic (89 kgCO2, 12% of savings), eating local (58 kgCO2, 8% of savings), composting (37 kgCO2, 5% of savings) and growing their own (4 kgCO2, 0.5% of savings). Combined, these yield savings of 726 kg CO2 per adult equivalent – 27% below the national average.
A reduction in climate impact is just one of the benefits of a Fife Diet.
Project director Mike Small: “It’s hugely encouraging that we can make significant reductions in our emissions around food – but carbon is only one aspect of this. The other is that we can create stronger local economies and healthier diets by eating more unprocessed food.”
The results are achieved by participants eating a more local diet, less meat, and reducing food waste, increasing composting and eating more organic produce.
The project, which now has over 1000 members was the winner of the Scotsman/Sustainable Development Commission Green List Award 2009 and the Observer Food Monthly Ethical Food Award 2009 is funded by the Scottish Climate Challenge Fund.
The project which has inspired replica schemes elsewhere has just published it’s first recipe booklets, collaborated on a Bread Club in Kinghorn and Burntisland and has just received planning permission for its first allotment and community garden project.