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A new report, by the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and EY, highlights that a 20% reduction in red meat and dairy consumption by 2050 will be necessary for the UK to achieve its net zero targets.

The report was first agreed upon in mid-2024 by industry body IGD, environmental NGO WRAP and accounting firm EY, aiming to create a robust evidence base illustrating the necessary measures required for the UK food and agriculture industry to meet net zero goals.

Why is this important? 🌍

It sets out a pathway for the country’s food system to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with a 1.5° Science Based Targets Initiative outcome, to meet the UK’s legally binding national decarbonisation goal.

“Food production is responsible for around a third of global GHG emissions, so we must play our part in the transition to net zero,” said Sarah Bradbury, chief executive of the IGD, in the report’s foreword.

“This plan shows the challenge that several 2030 targets are at risk of not being met, but that doesn’t mean without co-ordination we still can’t achieve net zero by 2050. We need a different approach, one that involves the whole end-to-end supply chain, and a more aligned dialogue across the industry and with government.”

The report was commissioned by IGD and conducted by an expert consultancy team at EY, with the support of partner WRAP as well as specialists at the Scottish Royal Agricultural College. It calls for ‘urgent focus and partnership’ to address the pressing challenge of meeting net zero targets by 2030 and 2050, recommending measures on both the supply side and the demand side.

Transforming food and agriculture 🚜

On the supply side, the report recommends higher uptake of lower carbon farming practices in the UK and overseas, including ending land-use change for imported commodities and reducing fertiliser emissions to zero through use of hydrogen, alongside ‘less mature and more challenging’ approaches such as low-carbon feed and inter-cropping.

It also highlights opportunities in grid decarbonisation and energy efficiency improvements, reducing emissions across the packaging sector based on increased recycling, alternative materials and reuse, and replacing old refrigerators and freezers with modern technologies that have lower F-gas emissions.

Demand-side action will also be necessary for meeting SBTI targets, the report states, particularly in food waste reduction and changes to consumer diets.

Reducing carbon-intensive foods 🥩

The report illustrates that red meat and dairy are ‘relatively carbon-intensive foods,’ emphasising that moving toward less carbon-intensive sources of protein will be key to reducing emissions.

It puts forward a ‘more conservative’ approach than that modelled by the Climate Change Committee, which has called for 50% reductions in red meat and dairy consumption by 2050. Instead, the report models a 20% reduction in red meat and dairy consumption within this time frame, which would lower emissions by 9% assuming that protein is instead gained from pulses (substitution to chicken or fish would slightly reduce emissions savings).

While diet change will be needed, the extent will depend on progress made across other abatement measures recommended in the report, it points out. If more challenging and less mature agriculture emissions reduction measures could be delivered, together with food waste reductions, the report says the 20% reduction in meat and dairy by 2050 would be ‘sufficient to meet carbon targets,’ however it emphasises that more would be required if such measures were unsuccessful – and greater dietary shifts can support deeper cuts in emissions.

Additionally, it emphasises the importance of ensuring dietary shifts are not made ‘at the expense of health considerations,’ and that interventions must be appropriately targeted to enable the achievement of desired health outcomes. It recommends greater alignment with the national Eatwell Guide at a population level to ensure this balance.

Simon Owen, managing director at plant-based meat brand Redefine Meat, commented on the report: “The impact of the food system on our planet cannot be understated. IGD’s newest report on a ‘Net Zero Transition Plan for the UK Food System’ highlights specifically how impactful meat and dairy foods are...I’m thrilled to see this is just one of several advocations for plant-based food in recent months as we head into Veganuary and New Year’s resolutions.”

Working on waste reduction ♻️

Food waste reduction is identified as the other critical opportunity for demand-side emissions cuts – production emissions for wasted food were estimated at around 36 mT CO2e by WRAP in 2021, with the majority of food waste occurring in households.

WRAP’s Courtauld Commitment initiative sets a target for the food industry to reduce food waste by 50% in 2030 compared to a 2015 baseline, based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The new report from IGD and WRAP states that significant opportunities can be achieved by going beyond this, resulting in less production required for a given demand, therefore lower associated emissions.

Catherine David, executive director of behaviour change and business programmes at WRAP, said: “This report highlights how eliminating food waste can help achieve net zero goals and presents unambiguous evidence that this should be a core pillar of net zero planning in the food sector”.

“With the average family throwing away approximately £1000 worth of edible food each year, there is a huge opportunity for change, and the need for a national collective mission to accelerate action on household food waste prevention.”

#UK #IGD #WRAP