Food in the UK
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 6.1.3
Food in the UK
UK consumers want the best food all year round. Trends like organic, free-range, and artificial meat are also growing in popularity.
Demand for seasonal food all year round
- Until the rise of the supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda), people shopped at their local greengrocer, who would buy fruit & vegetables from local farms. This meant that people ate whatever vegetables were in season in the UK at the time.
- Now, the supermarkets import food from all over the world to offer fruit and vegetables all year round.
- The British strawberry season lasts 6-20 weeks. The rest of the year, strawberries must be imported from countries like Spain, Morocco, Mexico, Israel or Jordan.
- Avocados are popular in the UK. They cannot be grown here and are imported from Central America and Latin America.
Demand for high-value foods
- In 2012, the UK imported 86,000 tonnes of lamb and 73% of this came from New Zealand. Meat is popular in developing and developed nations. Eating meat is often a sign of wealth.
- Exotic fruits and vegetables like avocados are now popular. Asparagus is probably the most expensive vegetable in UK supermarkets.
- Bananas are a cheap fruit. They are often grown in low-income Central American countries by the Chiquita or Del Monte companies, before being sold in the UK.
Demand for organic produce
- Organic foods are grown without using certain pesticides or chemicals to accelerate the food's growth or to kill off insects.
- Free range means that any animals are kept in natural living conditions with free movement.
- There is a trend towards veganism and artificial meat (made by companies like Impossible Foods).
The Carbon Footprint of Food
As climate change becomes more of a problem, consumers are becoming more aware of the carbon footprint behind their food. The carbon footprint of food is made up of:
Growing the food
- Livestock (especially cows) produce greenhouse gases like methane which contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
- Agriculture in the UK creates 9% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.
Packaging the food
- Food is usually packaged in factories using machinery.
- The machines need energy to package the food and this energy is often created by burning fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide).
- People dislike plastic waste, but transporting food in reusable glass makes it heavier and will mean it creates even more carbon dioxide when it is transported.
Transporting the food
- Food miles refer to how far food is transported from farm to table.
- Avocados are popular in the UK. They cannot be grown here and are imported from Central America and Latin America.
- Bananas usually come from Central America or Latin America.
- Most food is transported by container ship and usually, the further it travels, the larger its carbon footprint.
- Businesses like Farmdrop and Oddbox try to connect consumers with local farmers to buy fresh, local produce. Farmers' markets allow farmers to sell their own produce.
Test yourself on Food in the UK
How has the popularity of organic foods in the UK changed in recent years?
How long does the English strawberry-growing season last?
Which sector is responsible for producing 9% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions?
What do we call the distance food is transported from where it is grown to where it is marketed?
What % of UK's 2013 greenhouse gas emissions came directly from growing food?