Shipping welcomes Japan’s move to eco-label

Media release
20 August 2008

The shipping industry has welcomed the move by Japan to start eco-labelling food and other products.

Such a move across the UK would help to de-bug the two “food miles” myths – that the distance a product is transported provides a guide to its carbon footprint and that imported food is commonly transported by air.

Japan is to carry carbon footprint labels on food packaging and other products in an ambitious scheme to persuade companies and consumers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Almost all imported foods (and other goods) on supermarket shelves have been brought in by sea.  Shipping carries 92% of British trade by volume.

Transporting a product by sea produces about 1% of the carbon dioxide that would be produced by carrying the same item the same distance by air – so 100 “food miles” by ship is the equivalent in CO2 output of only one “food-mile” by air or 10 “food-miles” by road.  Clearly to compare “food-miles” is completely ludicrous as a way of estimating a product’s impact on global-warming.

The second myth - that the majority of foodstuffs are moved by air and therefore better for the environment than locally grown produce – is illustrated perfectly by New Zealand lamb.  Studies have indeed shown that New Zealand lamb has a lower carbon footprint than lamb produced in the UK, but a major reason why this is possible is that all New Zealand lamb is brought in by ship, none by plane.
Air-freight is used for some high value low-weight items, or products from particularly land-locked areas but it is the carbon-friendly shipping industry that carries the vast majority. Perhaps what we really need is for most goods to be labeled “transported by ship, the most carbon-friendly form of transport”?

The Chamber has teamed up with Oxfam to look at the issues around the confused concept of “food miles” and would like to invite you to our lunchtime fringe events at the Labour and Conservative party conferences on Monday 22 September and Tuesday 30 September respectively. Please call John Stevenson if you would like to attend on 020 7417 2833.

For further information please contact:
John Stevenson, Chamber of Shipping
020 7417 2833

Click here to read more: “Japan to launch carbon footprint labelling scheme”