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Cut waste to help environment, lower food prices: Britain
London (AFP) July 7, 2008 Cutting back on the amount of food that Britons buy but throw away uneaten could help cut rising global prices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a government-commissioned report said Monday. The Cabinet Office study said British consumers spend an average 420 pounds (528 euros, 826 dollars) per household each year on food that goes into the bin -- the equivalent to 4.1 million tonnes or 10 billion pounds. "Eliminating household food waste would deliver major benefits, including a reduction in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions equivalent to taking one in five cars off UK roads," it added. Researchers estimated that 60 percent of the food thrown away could generate enough renewable energy to power all the homes in the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, where more than one million people live, it said. Helping to reduce food costs would also aid low-income households, the poorest 10 percent of which spent 15 percent of their income on food in 2005-6, compared to about nine percent by the average British household. Internationally, a world response to tackling high food prices could ease the pressure on the developing world, where many people can spend as much as 50 to 80 percent of their income on food. The advice comes as Prime Minister Gordon Brown attends the G8 summit in Japan, where spiralling food prices and the downturn in the world economy are high on the agenda. Brown commissioned the study of food policy last September. Separate research on the impact of biofuels on food production and supply and prices is to be published later Monday. Other recommendations included increasing world food output, particularly of cereals and meat, plus cutting waste in the developing world, where up to 40 percent of food harvested can be lost due to storage and distribution problems. It also called for cuts in emissions from agriculture through changes in fertiliser use and animal feed, and initiatives to encourage British consumers to eat healthier, more environmentally-sustainable food. About 18 percent of Britain's greenhouse gas emissions are related to food consumption and production, particularly through packaging, the report said. In a statement, Brown said Britain could not act alone, and pushed for an international effort to tackle higher prices and helping developing countries "reach their potential" in food production. Related Links Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology
US, Japan call for action on oil, food prices ahead of G8 meet
Toyako, Japan (AFP) July 6, 2008The United States and Japan called Sunday for urgent action on red-hot oil and food prices that could derail the global economy on the eve of a summit of the world's richest nations. |
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