62. 28-06-21 Livery Climate Action Group – Food Seminar

Tonight, I attended a very interesting webinar by the Livery Climate Action Group titled “The Impact of Food on the Climate”.  The evening was hosted by David Smith CBE, Master of the Cooks’ Livery Company and introduced by Alderman Alison Gowman, Lead of the Livery Climate Action Group.

The first presenter was Richard Whitlock, Master of the Farmers’ Livery Company. He explained that the primary aim of farmers was to produce food whilst optimising costs versus outputs. The key challenges for the supply chain were ensuring food was always available whilst minimising waste. WRAP estimate that of 10 million tons of food waste per year 7 million tons is in the home. Nitrous Oxide released by nitrogen fertilizer is 300 times more potent in terms of climate change impact than carbon dioxide, however, it improves crop yields by up to 200%. In terms of possible solutions, he talked about improved demand forecasting, alternative uses for food waste, food give away, and the greater use of taxes or subsidies.

The second presenter was Juliane Caillouette Noble, Managing Director, The Sustainable Restaurant Association. She stressed that meat and diary produce accounts for 16.5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, and that just 10 products make up 75% of all plastic pollution, of which 6 are related to food service. 1 million tonnes of food is wasted across the foodservice sector alone, and she spoke about the important role of the Sustainable Restaurant Association in reducing food waste. She urged everyone to fight for local and seasonal menus, cut back on meat and dairy, and to understand and manage your waste streams.

The final speaker was Laura Winningham, OBE, co-founder of City Harvest, a charity that has rescued surplus food and delivered 21 million meals to those in need since it was founded in 2014. She estimates that the 8,526 tons of food rescued represents a saving in greenhouse gases of 33,000 tons. City Harvest rescue all types of food collected from many organisations including supermarkets, farms, restaurants, and caterers. City Harvest already receive generous support from the City of London, and many livery companies, but she urged livery companies to do more in managing their food waste.

The presentations were followed by an interesting question and answer session, and then by short break out sessions where participants could give feedback on the key challenges. My thanks go to all the presenters, the Farmers’ Company for hosting the event, and to the Livery Climate Action Group led by Alderman Alison Gowman for hosting the event.