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The Telegraph reports that some UK National Health Service hospitals are throwing away up to half the meals that they produce. A thought provoking report in terms of the environmental imprint and the impact on patient nutrition and wellbeing !
It is the school holidays and I have been very busy this last week with lots of family events, including a day-trip to London to see the sights. I was pondering on being a parent and I have written about the highs and lows on previous occasions. I read this quote recently that sums it all up for me though:
The best way to make children good is to make them happy. Oscar Wilde.
I think that goes for adults too!
The Telegraph reports that for the last three weeks Waitrose has run out of its own-label pasta. Waitrose states that this is a quality issue which will be resolved.
Whenever I go to London and talk about food security, especially up until a year ago, it is not an issue that is high in most people's thoughts. They can access food 24/7 of any kind they could wish for. It is only when you see first hand how brittle the supply chain can be that you begin to understand the stark implications of food security.
India has raised its rice export prices again. BBC News reports that India has raised the minimum price at which it exports non-basmati rice. This had been done in order to discourage exports and control domestic food costs. This is the second time in a month that India has raised its minimum price for exporting rice, the price has gone up from $650 to $1,000 per tonne for non-basmati rice. India has also ended all import tax on rice. This will impact on India's neighbours including Bangladesh.
Argentina has also increased export taxes by up to 45% on some food items in an effort to boost tax income. BBC News reports that two weeks of blockades by farmers have left many retail stores in the main cities short of meat and dairy products.
Issues with food supply and shortages will continue in many regions of the world and for a variety of reasons, but together they demonstrate that food is a private, not a public, good. We can only purchase food when it is available, and if it is available if we can afford the price.
Dioxin has been found in the milk of 66 herds of buffalo around Naples. The Guardian reports that Brussels is asking for further information from Italy about the extent of the problem. Japan and South Korea have already banned imports of the cheese.
The BBC report that in a statement, the European Commission said the measures introduced so far were not adequate: "No recall of product potentially contaminated has been carried out, and the surveillance programme on the farms of the Campania region is still too limited". The BBC suggest that a potential source of contamination is currently being investigated i.e. that industrial waste has been illegally dumped on agricultural land used for pasture.
Why is dioxin a problem? Dioxins are highly toxic and carcinogenic (cause cancer). Dioxins are a by-product of industrial production in industries such as chemical and pesticide manufacture, paper bleaching. We have had food safety incidents in the past with this chemical. In 1999, dioxin was found in European animal feed which sparked a continent wide recall centred on Belgium. In 2004, there was another incident with milk in Belgium and the Netherlands and this was believed to have been due to animal feed that was contaminated with potato byproducts.
I have written before about having an effective product recall procedure in place and the interaction between food safety and brand equity. Food safety incidents, such as this one, require an effective, co-ordinated response in order to maintain customer confidence.
The Independent reports that the UK food company Uniq will not pay a final dividend to shareholders. Uniq sells ready meals and sandwiches to a range of UK food retailers. The issues affecting the food supply chain are truly global - follow the link to find out more.
I am delighted that I will be contributing to Age of Conversation: Why don't people get it? in 2008 along with 274 other authors - all listed below. I have only been involved with social media and blogging for ten months and I find it the most incredible medium for collaboration and I am looking forward to being involved in the project. What is more the goal of this book and the first book written in 2007 - The Age of Conversation - is to raise funds for Variety - the children's charity.
I will keep you posted on developments!
List of 2008 contributors
Adam Crowe, Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob Carlton, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Bradley Spitzer, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Clay Parker Jones, Chris Brown, Colin McKay, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Cord Silverstein, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Goldstein, Dan Schawbel, Dana VanDen Heuvel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Darryl Patterson, Dave Davison, Dave Origano, David Armano, David Bausola, David Berkowitz, David Brazeal, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Emily Reed, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, G. Kofi Annan, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Graham Hill, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, J.C. Hutchins, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeremy Middleton, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, Joe Talbott, John Herrington, John Jantsch, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Flowers, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kris Hoet, Krishna De, Kristin Gorski, Laura Fitton, Laurence Helene Borei, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Barnes-Johnston, Louise Mangan, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Marcus Brown, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Mark McSpadden, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Hawkins, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Monica Wright, Nathan Gilliatt, Nathan Snell, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul Marobella, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, R.J. Northam, Rob Mortimer, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Cribbett, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tiffany Kenyon, Tim Brunelle, Tim Buesing, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Longhurst, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem
The Independent reports today that the World Food Programme has made an appeal for at least $500m (£250m). This is to sustain food aid this year to around 73 million people., who have no alternative to the aid. Usually this type of appeal are due to wars or crop failure, but this year it is due to the market i.e. rising food prices.
I have been following this issue over the last few months as it has become more acute (see food aid rationing and food shortages. Food prices rather than being revised on an annual basis are now being revised weekly by the WFP as they continue to spiral upwards. The appeal to 80 governments is for immediate support to redress rising food prices, fuel prices and food rioting.
The Guardian reviewed the recent food riots Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, Morocco and Egypt. In Egypt the army has been mobilised to bake more bread and overcome severe shortages and four people have died in clashes over food.
The Independent reports that Gareth Thomas, the UK International Development minister has warned about conflict over water scarcity and sanitation. His department warned that two-thirds of the world's population will live in water-stressed countries by 2025. To find out more follow the link.
National Geographic News has reported the findings of a new study that China's greenhouse gas emissions are rising much faster than expected. The study discussed concluded that for the period from 2004 to 2010, China''s CO2 emissions will have grown by at least 11 percent a year.
Developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil are currently exempt from any reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. China has been building on average two coal fire stations a week to meet the energy needs of its population and industry. It is important to recognise though that the increase in CO2 emissions is in part due to the fact that many other countries have exported their industries such as manufacturing to China.
Discussions on reducing global CO2 emissions will only move forward when developed countries accept that they have both an internal and an external carbon footprint. Externalising the environmental impact of a nation's consumption by exporting certain industries to other regions of the world will reduce declared emissions at home. However, even if the resources are being used in China, India and Brazil to make our food, fuel, toys, and consumables it is still our footprint!
Well, my children will be tucking into their Easter egg this morning and as with every other year I will be pondering on the amount of packaging that is used for the fragile chocolate item.
I recognise that the size of the box is a critical factor when a child choses their annual egg, but as reported in The Independent this week the chocolate makes up less than 10 per cent of the volume of the wrapping. This is always a source of disappointment for a child when they actually get to open the box! However there is an environmental point too. Easter eggs generate about 3,000 tons of waste each year in terms of foil, plastic and cardboard. Whilst many people can compost the cardboard at home the plastic and foil will probably end up in landfill. If you want to find out how the different retailers and manufacturers are performing then follow the link!
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