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Race to find slower-growing chickens accelerates

Race to find slower-growing chickens accelerates
A new Marks & Spencer commitment is a landmark moment for bird welfare, but industry-wide changes will take time and significant investment. David Burrows reports. M&S is to sell only slower-growing, British, RSPCA-Assured chicken across its full range of fresh chicken products by autumn 2022. The commitment is a “landmark achievement for animal welfare”, according…
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Trade deals, carbon taxes and cakeism

Trade deals, carbon taxes and cakeism
The UK government wants to liberalise trade and fight climate change. Is a carbon border adjustment mechanism the only way to do so? Nick Hughes reports. A draft UK trade deal with Australia has united farmers and environmentalists in concern over its implications for food and the environment, including the potential for lower-quality imported meat…
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Flushing out the foodservice greenwashers

Flushing out the foodservice greenwashers
New guidance on making environmental claims shows how easy it is to fall foul of the law. David Burrows reports. Be careful what you claim because the greenwashing police are coming. At least that’s according to lawyers. They would say that, of course, but they have a point. In the UK, as well as Europe,…
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Meat remains the elephant in the room

Meat remains the elephant in the room
The government needs to come clean on its carbon reduction plans for food and agriculture, or risk failing to meet its new world-leading target. By Nick Hughes. Last week, the UK government set in motion a law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. This is in line with…
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Get real about the race to net zero

Get real about the race to net zero
In the rush to make a public net zero commitment some companies are failing to question the intrinsic sustainability of their business models, argues Nick Hughes. Has your business set a net zero target for carbon emissions? If the answer is no then there’s every chance you’ll soon be in the minority. When the government…
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Have out-of-home eating habits changed forever?

Have out-of-home eating habits changed forever?
Foodservice businesses reopen next week. But new research suggests diner demands may be very different from 12 months ago. Nick Hughes reports. The coronavirus pandemic has turned the way many of us eat on its head. That’s why the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) latest public survey into food behaviours and attitudes has such pertinence for…
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The new Agriculture Act could change everything

The new Agriculture Act could change everything
The first domestic farm policy in a generation contains some important new measures, but it doesn’t add up to a full vision for a sustainable food system, says Sustain’s Vicki Hird. When the Agriculture Bill gained royal assent last month it signalled a major shift in farm policy and support – paying farmers for the…
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OPINION: Plastic bans are not an excuse to switch materials

OPINION: Plastic bans are not an excuse to switch materials
Scotland is consulting on market restrictions for certain single-use plastics. Businesses need to change so they use fewer resources, says Zero Waste Scotland’s David Barnes The Scottish Government consultation on new market restrictions for certain single-use plastic items runs until January 4th 2021. These restrictions align with Article 5 of the single-use plastics directive (SUPD)…
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Opinion: It’s time to back progressive farmers

Opinion: It’s time to back progressive farmers
New survey data shows people overwhelmingly want food that supports farmers and meets high standards. Foodservice businesses have a key role to play in meeting their wishes, says the Food Ethics Council’s Dan Crossley. Farmers are at the sharp end of crop failures, climate breakdown, price pressures, labour shortages, and the outcome of trade negotiations.…
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Opinion: McDonald’s is bullish on British beef but coy about chicken

Opinion: McDonald’s is bullish on British beef but coy about chicken
A new campaign to show the fast food chain’s commitment to UK and Irish ingredients raises concerns about its policy on poultry, says David Burrows.  McDonald’s UK & Ireland has launched a new map showing customers where its UK ingredients are sourced from. It offers a glimpse into the lives of some of its 23,000…
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