Supermarkets may have to shift away from selling products that have the biggest impact on the environment, such as meat, according to a new report.
The Food Ethics Council has said that consumption growth is meaning efforts to solve efficiencies in the food supply chain are not working, reports the Guardian.
Recently, Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy argued that supermarkets can play a vital role in ensuring that they become greener operating ventures.
And greenhouse gas emissions can be cut if people begin eating foods such as fruit and vegetables, rather than meat, which is high in carbon, the report contended.
Emissions in 2005-06 grew, the Food Ethics Council said, even though attempts were made to increase food growing efficiencies.
“It’s going in the wrong direction despite all those efficiency improvements; the idea in the future we’re going to have some magical growing system is just quite far fetched,” said the authors of the report, Tom MacMillan and Paul Steedman.
Alternatives were suggested by the organisation, such as the promotion of more healthy foods, along with a focus on recipes so that supermarkets sell items that are in season.
Supermarkets must also look to reduce the number of products that have to be shipped by air, it said.
