UK "Food Miles" Up 31% In One Year According To DEFRA - Independent

Almost a third more food was flown into Britain last year than in 2005, embarrassing the Government which has promised to slash the pollution and congestion from "food miles". Air-freight rose 31 per cent in the year to 2006, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which published the figures on its website without a press notice yesterday, a day after the Soil Association decided not to implement a full ban on air-freighted food.

The importation of animal feed from Brazil and the US was blamed by Defra for the steep rise, which means that air miles have more than quadrupled – a rise of 379 per cent – since 1992. Overall, there was a 5 per cent increase in carbon dioxide emissions from all food transport between 2005 and 2006, show the Food Transport Indicators.

The number of HGV miles dipped by 3 per cent, because of fewer overseas journeys – that may now be being made by air – but there was a 7 per cent rise in urban transport, which Defra said had been caused by individuals taking more and longer shopping trips.

The Government is committed to reducing the social and environmental impact of food miles by 20 per cent by 2012. Of all the UK's CO2 emissions from food transport last year,26 per cent came from domestic HGV travel, while overseas lorries generated another 18 per cent. Cars generated 20 per cent, with air freight at 15 per cent and sea transport at 12 per cent. Vans, overseas vans and overseas rail transport accounted for the rest.

EDIT

http://environment.independent.co.uk/climate_change/article3098855.ece

Like we just lost tomatoes and avocados and god knows how much citrus to fire?

by last winter's freeze in January and may never have fully recovered. Now they will have to replant and maybe that's for the best. They can get rid of all the damned Fuertes and just grow Hass from now on if you want my opinion.