FCRN Research Library: Related issues

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In the list below, icons of PDFs and Word documents, report covers and logos will, where available, link to the relevant report/information. Links within the text will also link to relevant webpages as well as PDFs etc.

Food and health policyBack to top

	For a very detailed presentation on food and health policy see Food, the new ecological public health and governance (PDF, 2.9Mb). This looks at food policy and the choices that face us. In so doing it gives a wealth of statistics on nutrition related ill-health in the UK and internationally, it shows how farming would need to change to meet our nutritional needs, analyses the theory and practice of policy making and its relationship with the evidence base, and argues that we are at a policy making crossroads. It looks at changes in the structure of the food industry, consumption trends among adults, children and by income group and at some of the conflicts between our nutritional health and environmental goals. A detailed articulation of the perspectives summarised in this presentation can be found in: Lang T., Heasman M. 2004. *Food Wars: the global battle for mouths, minds and markets*, Earthscan, London
	Suppose we all ate a healthy diet... could our food supplies cope? by Tim Lobstein, is a presentation given at Agri-Food Network organised by Sustain on June 16 2004. It asks the following question: 'Just suppose, for a fantastical moment, that the majority of consumers started to take their diets more seriously. Suppose we cut our saturated fats, limited our total fats, cut our salt and sugar... Suppose we bought fewer snacks, soft drinks, fatty meats and confectionery and purchased more fruit, vegetables, wholegrain foods and lean meats. What would it mean to our food supplies?' The paper argues that the current patterns of farming food imports could not meet the new demands and that dramatic changes would be required. It goes on to make a series of recommendations for achieving the necessary change.
	For those interested in the health aspects of the food supply chain you may be interested in the following report: *Healthy competition: how supermarkets can affect your chances of a healthy diet* published by the National Consumer Council in 2006. Click here for an FCRN summary of the report. A general overview of the the NCC's work on food can be found here.
	A global scale study by the University of Reading and commissioned by the International Federation of Agricultural Producers investigates the potential impact of WHO/FAO nutritional recommendations for fat, protein and sugar intake on the consumption, production and trade of a selection of food products. The products examined were meats, dairy products and eggs, vegetable oils, animal fats and cereals. In essence the report looks at what would happen to the production and trade of these goods were the countries studied to consume at levels that accorded with WHO/FAO nutritional guidelines. The 35 countries studies were those whose per capita intakes of fat contribute more than 30% to daily calorie intake. To read the report in full click here. A brief FCRN summary of its findings can be found here.

Food securityBack to top

Added: 07.02.08

Future of Britain’s food supply

Chatham House is running a project entitled UK Food Supply in the 21st Century: the New Dynamic. The work is largely being undertaken by Cardiff and City Universities and the research is focused on the future, examining the effects of global trends on the networks that supply two staples, wheat and dairy, to the UK market.

The research is based on a series of questionnaires, interviews, literature reviews and workshops to explore four possible scenarios sketching out the future of Britain’s food supply. The work undertaken so far indicates that there are widespread doubts about the ability of global food production to meet rising demand, with constraints on the availability of energy, water and land frequently identified as issues of particular significance. Overall, there is an expectation of significant structural change in existing food supply arrangements and the policies that support them; and there is a belief that Britain as a society has a number of important choices to make if it is to secure the kind of supply arrangements that best support its interests.

The project has recently published a briefing paper setting out the findings from the first stage of the project. Entitled UK Food Supply: Storm Clouds on the Horizon, you can read the paper here.

A study undertaken by Cranfield University for Defra examined the food industry's ability to plan for and cope with risk. The risks highlighted include terrorist attacks, food safety failures, transport disruptions and so forth. The report notes the industry's focus on 'lean production' and just in time supply, with minimal stocks held in the system means that disruptions could quickly lead to shortfalls in supply. While climate change is not mentioned, clearly weather-related disruptions could lead to similar outcomes. See: Resilience in the food chain:a study of business continuity management in the food and drink industry.

A useful summary of the findings is given in the journal Food Manufacture.

Food and the economyBack to top

Added: 14.6.07

Global food import bills are increasing, partly due to soaring demand for biofuels, according to FAO’s latest Food Outlook report (2007). Global expenditures on imported foodstuffs look set to surpass US$400 billion in 2007, almost 5 per cent above the record of the previous year. Developing countries as a whole are anticipated to face a 9 per cent increase in overall food import expenditures in 2007.

Rising prices of imported coarse grains and vegetable oils – the commodity groups that feature most heavily in biofuel production – account for the bulk of the increase. Import bills for these commodities are forecast to rise by as much as 13 percent from 2006. More expensive feed ingredients will lead to higher prices for meat and dairy products, raising expenditures on imports of those commodities. In several cases, such as for meat and rice, larger world purchases are likely to drive import bills up. In the case of sugar, generally high and volatile prices could lead to smaller import volumes, which is likely to result in a drop in the cost of global sugar imports. Record-high international freight rates have also affected the import value of all commodities, putting additional pressure on countries’ abilities to cover their food import bills.

You can read the report here.

For an economic analysis of the costs imposed by the UK food system see Pretty J.N, Ball A.S, Lang T and, Morison J.I.L. (2005) Farm costs and food miles: An assessment of the full cost of the UK weekly food basket, Food Policy 30.

Click here for an FCRN summary of this report.

Food production and biofuelsBack to top

Added: 07.02.08	The ‘bull run’ in soft commodities: commodity cycle or structural shift in food and farming? The East Anglian property consultancy Bidwells has published an interesting new report on ‘soft commodities’ – ie. commodities such as corn, wheat, fruit, cocoa, coffee, sugar etc (things that are grown, not mined). While the report is aimed at the investment community (to invest or not to invest?) the report is very interesting in its analysis of the trends currently influencing the rise in the price of food (global population growth, land availability, shifts in food preferences, water, biofuels oil etc) You can read the report here.
Added: 28.8.07	An article in the journal Science (August 2007) argues that the the EU target of ensuring 10% of petrol and diesel comes from renewable sources by 2020 is not an effective way to curb carbon emissions. The authors suggest that reforestation and habitat protection is a better option: forests could absorb up to nine times more CO2 than the production of biofuels could achieve on the same area of land. However the growth in biofuels production is leading to more deforestation. The authors of the article are Renton Righelato of the World Land Trust and Dominick Spracklen at the University of Leeds. You can read the BBC's coverage of the article here or for the World Land Trust press release see here.
Added: 13.8.07	A paper by Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen finds that: When the extra N2O emission from biofuel production is calculated in “CO2-equivalent” global warming terms, and compared with the quasi-cooling effect of “saving” emissions of 15 fossil fuel derived CO2, the outcome is that the production of commonly used biofuels, such as biodiesel from rapeseed and bioethanol from corn (maize), can contribute as much or more to global warming by N2O emissions than cooling by fossil fuel savings. Crops with less N demand, such as grasses and woody coppice species have more favourable climate impacts. This analysis only considers the conversion of biomass to 20 biofuel. It does not take into account the use of fossil fuel on the farms and for fertilizer and pesticide production, but it also neglects the production of useful co-products. Both factors partially compensate each other. This needs to be analyzed in a full life cycle assessment. View the paper (for free) online here where you'll also find an interactive discussion board. The full reference for the paper is: P. J. Crutzen, A. R. Mosier, K. A. Smith, and W. Winiwarter (2007) N2O release from agro-biofuel production negates global warming reduction by replacing fossil fuels Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 7, 11191–11205, 2007
Added: 28.6.07	In June 2007 the Government published a consultation on the carbon and sustainability reporting requirements for biofuels. This consulation forms part of the work on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which means that by 2010, 5% of all the fuel sold on UK forecourts should come from biofuels. Government expects this to save 1 million tones of carbon a year, the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road. An FCRN summary is available here. Click on the PDF icon to read the consultation document itself. To read the Department for Transport press release click here.
Added: 14.6.07	The Co-operative Insurance Society (the insurance part of the Co-operative Wholesale Society) published a report in 2007 called Biofuels: Risks and Opportunities of an Emerging Industry. The report warns that 'Companies are jeopardising future performance by ploughing headlong into biofuels without considering the long-term issues' these being primarily the environmental and social concerns associated with some biofuels production. To read the press release see here.
	A study by Iowa State University’s Center for Agriculture and Rural Development has been published. Emerging Biofuels: Outlook of Effects on US Grain, Oilseed, and Livestock Markets argues that greater US ethanol production will mean more competition for land and grain, and will subsequently cause long-run crop price increases. It says that the expanding US ethanol market has already driven US retail food prices up by $14 billion over the last year. An FCRN summary is available here.
	The UN has published a new report on biofuel production entitled *Sustainable Energy: A Framework for Decision Makers. While the report highlights the benefits of bioenergy systems as regards poverty alleviation, access to energy services, rural development and rural infrastructure, it stresses that 'Unless new policies are enacted to protect threatened lands, secure socially acceptable land use, and steer bioenergy development in a sustainable direction overall, the environmental and social damage could in some cases outweigh the benefits.' It recommends that the production of crops that require high fossil energy inputs (such as conventional fertilizer) and valuable (farm) land, and that have relatively low energy yields per hectare, should be avoided. The report also observes that even “sustainably"- produced energy crops could have negative impacts if they replaced primary forests, since deforestation leads to large releases of carbon from the soil and forest biomass which will negate the benefits of biofuels themselves. It also notes that while the market for biofuels brings with it employment opportunities, food security could be threatened if land, water and other resources are diverted from food production. Food access could also be compromised by higher basic food prices resulting from increased bioenergy feedstock demand. Click here to read the press release. You can also see the Guardian*'s coverage of the report here.
	The WWF-Germany have published a study – Sustainability standards for biofuels – which provides an overview of the key ecological and social impacts of bioenergy. The report looks at the legal situation as regards standard setting and at the options for implementation. It goes on to make recommendations as to how a core set of standards might be developed which ensure the sustainability of future bioenergy supplies.
	Researchers from Cardiff Business School have performed a value chain analysis of a biofuels supply chain from seed through to vehicle tank. Note that the researchers did not set out to assess the economic or environmental impact of this chain, but rather to investigate the developing supply chain relations and identify how these could be improved in order to help the business partners produce in the most efficient way possible.
	The IIED website has some very interesting publications, including a new briefing paper on biofuels called International trade in biofuels: Good for development? And good for environment? It sets out some of the options for achieving a sustainable global biofuels industry.
	How much bioenergy can Europe produce without harming the environment?, published by the European Environment Agency, concludes that increasing the use of renewable energies offers significant opportunities for Europe to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and secure its energy supply. However, the substantial rise in the use of biomass from agriculture, forestry and waste for producing energy might put additional pressure on farmland and forest biodiversity as well as on soil and water resources. It may also counteract other current and potential future environmental policies and objectives, such as waste minimisation or environmentally-oriented farming.
	There is an interesting 5 page feature on the expansion of ethanol in the US in the USDA's April 2006 issue of Amber Waves. An FCRN summary of the article is available here.
	Presentations from the Agricultural Economics Society conference Bioenergy - Green Gold?, January 2007 can be viewed online here. The presentations cover aspects such Government policy, the global economics of biofuels, farmer perspectives, biofuels and carbon life cycle analysis and other environmental aspects.
	The International Food Policy Research Institute has published a series of briefing papers on bioenergy, the opportunities it affords and the challenges it poses. The focus of the papers spans both the developed and the developing world. See Hazell P and Pachauri RK (eds.) (2006). Bioenergy and Agriculture: Promises and Challenges, IFPRI, 2020 Focus No. 14.
	Defra's *Biomass Task Force Report to Government* notes that biomass (fuel from forestry, energy crops and waste) could reduce the nation's carbon emissions by almost three million tonnes a year if used to provide heating. Heat generation accounts for 40 per cent of our national energy consumption. The carbon saving would be the equivalent of taking 3.25 million cars off the road. The report estimates that there could be 20 million tonnes of biomass available annually. The section on biomass feedstock potential shows that there is a clear link with food issues; sources of biomass include animal wastes, manures and slurries, energy crops and municipal solid waste (which will include a food element). Click here for a summary of this section.
	For a study examining the issue of agriculture for food versus agriculture for energy see Wolf J, Bindraban PS , Luijten JC and Vleeshouwers LM (2003) Exploratory study on the land area required for global food supply and the potential global production of bioenergy, Agricultural Systems, Volume 76, Issue 3, June 2003. This study examines the relationship between land requirements for agricultural food production and for the production of biomass for energy use. It considers whether there will be land available for both purposes in 2050, taking into account population growth. Click here for a brief FCRN summary of this report.
	The European Environment Agency has produced a report Transport biofuels: exploring links with the energy and agriculture sectors, Briefing No 4/2004. This gives statistics on transport biofuel production across a selection of EU countries. It argues that 'diversion of land from production of other energy crops to production of transport biofuels should...not be encouraged, because other energy crops have a greater overall potential for reducing CO2 emissions.' Since biofuel crops would take up between 4-13% of EU land to meet the required 5.75% target of the Biofuels Directive, then choices will need to be made between agricultural and biofuels production, and between the objectives of increasing renewable energy supply and conserving biodiversity. It also points out that the use of long term fallow land for energy crop or intensive food production can lead to increased releases of CO2 as a result of soil disturbance through ploughing.
	*Environmental impact of cereals and oilseed rape for food and biofuels in the UK*, published by the Home Grown Cereals Authority, examines the potential for using the 3 million tonnes of cereals which we currently export as a biofuel instead. Taking into account the fertiliser inputs to the cultivation process the report concludes that converting these cereals to biofuels instead of exporting them, will result in environmental gains. For instance it finds that biodiesel from oilseed rape would generate about half the emissions of an equivalent quantity of diesel, while bioethanol from wheat would produce only a third of the emissions produced by petrol.

See also the Transport section for more links to biofuels.

FisheriesBack to top

The work of Tyedmers (see fisheries section of the Agriculture section of this website ) suggests that there is a correlation between energy scarcity and species scarcity - in other words, the highest value, most endangered marine species such as tuna and cod, are those which are most energy-intensive to harvest. Action to tackle dwindling fishstocks are therefore likely be consistent with action to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from this sector.

For detailed analysis on European fisheries policies, see the work of the Institute for European Environmental Policy. They also have 2 mini-sites devoted to fisheries:

CookingBack to top

Added: 08.01.08

Energy use in domestic cooking and refrigeration

The University of Bristol’s Food Refrigeration and Process Engineering Research Centre has undertaken a short review of domestic energy used for heating, cooking and cooling in a domestic setting has received little research attention although this is a major energy use. Veronica Swain of FRPERC has performed one of the first reviews in this area. A shortened version of the review can be found at here. For more information contact the author,Veronica Swain.