Eat local produce and reduce your carbon footprint

FOR those of you that have picked up a newspaper or turned on the television recently, you will have seen that COP26 has dominated the headlines. From sensible discussions to people hiding their own agendas behind inaccurate environmental arguments, this conference has seen it all. You will be pleased to know that the NFU and NFU Cymru were present throughout these discussions and protecting the interests of Welsh and British farmers.

For those of you thinking about your own impact in terms of carbon emissions, what can you do to improve your carbon footprint? There are many simple changes you can make without completely overhauling your lifestyle. When you are buying your food, always check the labelling to see where the product was produced and always try to buy as local as possible. When food is produced locally, the food miles remain low, and less carbon is used transporting goods to you. Try to eat less processed products – the less processed the food the better it is for the environment (and your health). Try to buy seasonal products – these days we can expect every product on the shelves for 365 days per year, however that wasn’t always the case. If we can get back to buying products that were produced in season in this country, we can reduce our food miles which in turn reduces your carbon foot printing.

Unfortunately, we are seeing a lot of food service outlets buying meat from all over the world. This has serious repercussions on carbon emissions, especially when meat is imported from places such as Australia, The USA and South America.

Grass-fed red meat produced in Wales and the rest of the UK is by far the most environmentally friendly choice; its emissions are nowhere near the numbers you see being reported for world livestock emissions.

You might have presumed that I would say this as I am a representative of NFU Cymru, and you are right! However, the science behind all of this backs up what I have said – if you eat local products your carbon footprint will be reduced. Welsh farms operate on regenerative agriculture and are therefore some of the most sustainable and least pollutant means of accessing protein in our country.

I also call on the local authorities, Welsh Government and the UK Government to procure all their products as locally as possible. Back in 2019, I worked alongside Carmarthenshire Council to promote the use of local products within their own departments, including schools, residential homes, and office canteens. Secondly, the money being spent on procuring food and drink will remain in our own local economy, benefiting us all.

As I have said in previous columns, Welsh farmers can deliver the sustainable and planet-friendly food that is needed to ensure that we meet climate change goals. However, public support is crucial in ensuring that politicians do not export the environmental cost of food production. Nobody wins in this situation; we import food produced by unsustainable means, and local farmers’ businesses are ruined in the process. We know Welsh farmers are the answer, and it is more important than ever that we all take responsibility in ensuring our food is sourced ethically and locally.