More than one in four consumers (27%) are “not confident at all” that foods labelled organic are grown or reared using organic methods. Meanwhile, just 19% are “very confident” that vegan products in supermarkets do not contain meat, with 60% “fairly confident” and 16% “not confident at all”. Lloyd’s Register said it found a “deep…

Crop production in Britain will fall dramatically if climate change causes the collapse of a vital pattern of ocean currents, according to new research. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) brings heat from the tropics, making Britain warmer and wetter than it would otherwise be. University of Exeter scientists have found that, while warming Britain…

The ban on plastic straws, originally set to come into force in April, is likely to be delayed, Footprint understands. The government set out its plan to ban the distribution and sale of plastic straws in October 2018, with an introduction date of October 2019. A consultation showed majority support for the ban to be brought in…

Pizza Hut and KFC are among a number of high street food brands to launch new vegan products at the start of 2020. KFC has introduced its first permanent plant-based burger made with a bespoke Quorn fillet following a successful trial in London, Bristol and the Midlands last summer. Pizza Hut, meanwhile, has launched a…

A sustainable food system should not only consider the environmental impact of food produced in the UK but must also apply the same standards to food imports, according to Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby. The Defra lead non-executive and architect of the forthcoming national food strategy told this week’s Oxford Farming Conference that maintaining a level…

There could be a million times more microplastic pieces floating around the oceans than previously thought, according to new research published in the science journal Limnology and Oceanography Letters. The findings will raise further concerns about the impact of microplastic pollution not only on the environment but on human health. Microplastic pollution tends to be…

More than three quarters (76%) of business leaders in the UK pub, bar and restaurant sector say “a sustainable food chain” is important to their brand values. The finding, from the Business Confidence Survey, shows that environment will again be a key issue for the market in 2020. The survey – carried out in November…

The prime minister is mulling over the revival of the department for energy and climate change (DECC) as part of a major Whitehall shake-up, according to reports. Responsibility for climate change currently sits with the department for business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS), but the Sunday Times has reported that officials are considering the merits…

Less than one in ten UK CEOs have their pay linked to the environmental sustainability of their organisation. Researchers found that only 6% of UK CEOs have in their bonus a KPI focusing on the environment, and less than 1% have long-term incentives focused on this area. The study, by researchers from the Executive Remuneration…