Professor rejects the vegetarian solution

Guided by the Regional Food Group (RFG), which runs the deliciouslyorkshire brand, John Beddington visited Voakes Pies at Whixley, the Farmers Cart shop and restaurant at Towthorpe Grange, near York, the Yorvale ice-cream factory at Acaster Malbis, and the Fodder shop at the Harrogate showground.

He later took part in a round-table discussion over dinner at Rudding Park, Harrogate, with RFG members and chief executive Jonathan Knight, and addressed concerns about the number of politicians and political advisers who have suggested that farming for meat is unsustainable because gases from livestock contribute to climate change.

Prof. Beddington was told that Yorkshire farmers produce nearly a quarter of the UK's beef and more than a seventh of its lamb.

He said: "We are beginning to appreciate what the global challenge is for the future of food when we look at what is happening in terms of increasing population, food energy and waste. But the idea that we can solve the problem by everyone going vegetarian is just folly.

"Cows and sheep are responsible for greenhouse gases that cause global warming. But livestock can also bring environmental and social benefits. These issues are often complex."

Ploughing the uplands, for example, could release more gases than grazing them with livestock, he said.

But he added: "Everyone in the food industry will need to adapt to deal with climate changes. None among us can afford to be complacent. We need to work harder to improve sustainability and reduce carbon emissions by farming more efficiently and recycling waste food more sensibly. Food businesses can adapt by following processes that minimise the need for refrigeration, heating or transport, or use more fuel-efficient equipment.

"Arable farmers can be more efficient with man-made inputs like fossil-fuel-based energy and chemical fertiliser, choosing natural alternatives like biogas.

"Consumers can find out more about how and where food is produced, how to waste less, and use their influence and spending power to support those who produce sustainable and healthy food."

n A Finnish research report, published in the journal Progress in Industrial Ecology, says an entirely vegan population would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food production by only seven per cent, because most of the gases come from cultivation of the soil.

Organic growing actually leads to a net increase in climate impact because the extra ground dug up outweighs savings on fertilisers and pesticides, says the report by Helmi Risku-Norja and Sirpa Kurppa of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, working with Juha Helenius of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki.

In Finland, they calculated, emissions from soil represent 62 per cent of the total emissions. Gases released by cows and sheep account for 24 per cent and energy consumption and fertiliser manufacture about eight per cent each.

CW 10/4/10