As part of a global food system which accounts for over one third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it’s widely agreed that there is an “urgent need” for environmental labelling in the UK food system.
In the ongoing battle to help consumers understand the environmental impact of the food they buy, adding environmental labelling to food and other consumer goods would have significant influence, allowing shoppers to make more informed choices about the purchases they make and the impact they have on the climate.
So far, so empowering.
But it’s not quite that easy. There are currently no internationally agreed standards for environmental labelling – or even agreement on what type of data should be measured.
The FSA’s chief scientific officer professor Robin May has previously said that – in order for the UK’s food system to be set on a path to sustainability – these standards need to be “addressed urgently” through collaboration between business and government.
Earlier this year, Tetra Pak called on the UK government to develop a framework for environmental labelling on food packaging, a move which it said would: “broaden and improve consumer engagement and understanding of the role played by the food system in driving the UK’s sustainability and net zero goals”.
But without such a framework in place, it can be a potential minefield for businesses who look to embrace the ‘good for your planet’ message without having the necessary regulations in place.
Vegetarian food brand Quorn is a cautionary tale. Just a few months after introducing ‘Farm to Shop’ carbon footprint data labelling on some of its UK products in the UK, the company was accused of misleading consumers. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned an advert for greenwashing, after it claimed that it would help reduce consumers’ carbon footprint.
It’s easy to see why, without the proper labelling guidelines to follow, making any environmental claims is a risk. And of course, the UK food system and supply chain is also highly complex, making collating the data required for accurate environmental labelling a significant challenge in itself.
So while consumers have a right to know the environmental impact of their food, how can brands begin to move forward in this area?
Measuring environmental impact
The organisation Foundation Earth works with leading FMCG brands, from Coca-Cola, Nestle and Starbucks to newer ones like Meatless Farm, rating their environmental impact. The rating – a simple scale that runs from A to F – examines a full range of issues from carbon footprint and water usage to pollution and biodiversity.
“It’s important to note that carbon labelling and environmental labelling are not one and the same,” explains CEO Cliona Howie.
We aim to give consumers and industry players the most accurate environmental data of food products – they might have a fantastic carbon footprint, but have many other negative impacts,” she adds, highlighting that a “product which is better for your health, might not be so good for the environment”.
Howie admits that it’s harder to measure environmental impact, but insists that consumers still want to understand it.
Indeed, according to data from the Food Standards Agency data, close to three quarters of UK consumers (73%) want to buy food that is more sustainable, compared with the 63% who would like their diet to be healthier.
By having a clear labelling system, it is hoped that consumers, who – despite any good intentions we might espouse – rush around the supermarket, will be able to make decisions about ethical consumption quickly.
After all, the average supermarket decision is taken in the space of just five seconds.
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Environmental labelling and the data challenge
Dealing with and understanding the environmental impact of the UK’s food supply chains is a frustratingly complex process.
With close to half of the food sold and eaten in the UK imported from overseas, it is a major challenge to collate all the data from the point of production, to how much of it is thrown away.
Howie also highlights that there are major differences between working for larger corporations and smaller businesses, explaining that it’s “simply easier” for smaller businesses to understand and keep track of each element of their process than it is for a multinational.
Gathering this crucial information needed for accurate environmental labelling could be helped by a new technology called IoT (or the Internet of Things), which uses a cloud-like system to collect and share data which can then track the environmental impact of products in real time.
But is it worth the pain? For Howie it’s a no-brainer – anything which helps businesses and decision makers to drive meaningful long-term change and allows consumers to play their part is good news.
Demystifying environmental labelling
One start-up looking to shake up the field is IoT firm Wiliot, which had developed a real-time carbon footprint measurement tool which claims it can demystify even the most complicated of food supply chains.
“We don’t want complexity to slow people down,” says the firm’s recently appointed vice president of climate and circularity Antony Yousefian.
“We’re offering a different way of seeing what’s happening in your business. We’ve just applied a layer to it which means businesses can use it themselves and then easily share their scope 1 and 3 data at the product level.”
CMO Steve Statler offers a demonstration which shows a real-time data visualisation of supply chains in granular detail, showing peaks at certain points which can help pinpoint areas for improvement.
He highlights that – using traditional data – the carbon footprint of bananas would be around 50g CO2 each. But actually, there is huge variability, where bananas that are sustainably harvested and produced seven days ago might only have 20g of CO2 e each, while bananas harvested a year ago might have 80g CO2 e each.
Currently working on its plans with a number of as-yet-unnamed supermarkets, Wiliot is hoping to share its findings as an open source resource which will mean environmental labelling can be accurately used by customers, retailers and producers alike.
And that might be just the trick.
The way food is currently sourced, processed, transported and and packaged needs to change. And if clearly-displayed environmental labelling based on real-time supply chain data can be rolled out across the grocery sector – something consumers interact with on a daily basis – it will be a game changer.
Not just for the food sector’s impact on emissions, but for consumer awareness and the UK’s ability to meet its net zero ambitions as a whole.
