FAIRR’s top news picks
COP28’s Focus on the Agriculture Sector’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Guardian | 12 November
Towards the end of this month, the United Nations climate negotiations at COP28 in Dubai will put a spotlight on transforming consumption and production patterns. Notably, it will be a first for this summit to place such an emphasis on the impact of food systems, an aspect that has been overlooked in previous gatherings. Despite scientific data demonstrating the substantial role played by the animal agriculture sector in global warming, the political landscape has proven challenging. This is due to economic interests overlapping with cultural traditions and sentimental attachments to land. Consequently, world figures such as Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden, have struggled to address this critical issue effectively.
Food Industry Calls for More Time to Implement EU Deforestation Rules
Financial Times | 13 November
The food industry is expressing concern about the lack of time to prepare for the new EU rules aimed at cutting carbon emissions in the supply chains of key commodities. The new rules are scheduled to take effect at the end of 2024 which will require companies to prove that their goods have not been produced on recently deforested land. The industry argues that the EU has not provided sufficient details, such as a list of high-risk countries that would be subject to extra checks causing uncertainty among companies. However, critics argue that the industry has had ample time to prepare.
Alternative Proteins Could Replace a Third of Meat Consumed in the UK by 2040
Vegconomist | 14 November
The Social Market Foundation has released a report, supported by the RSPCA, examining the potential impact of alternative proteins on reducing meat consumption in the UK. The report suggests that alternative proteins could replace a third of the total protein market in the UK by 2040. Despite a 400% expansion of the UK alternative meat market over the past decade, concerns have been raised about last year’s slow growth. Experts agree that improving the taste, cost and nutritional value of alternative meat products is essential for the sector’s longevity and so would need increased support in infrastructure and research and development.
Graph of the Week
Source: McKinsey & Company
More Food for Thought
A potential way to price emissions from agricultural activities | Directorate-General for Climate Action | European Union
An EU Protein Strategy | Andrea Gutierrez-Solana | Food Manufacture
FAIRR’s Protein Pulse is a weekly collection of news articles related to the food sector that may be of interest to our members. FAIRR does not necessarily endorse the views of these news articles and assumes no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies found in third-party content.
