Tesco DROP aeroplane stickers - citing sustainable development!

This great article is from Business Daily in Kenya by Zeddy Sambu entitled "Kenya: High Demand for Produce in European Market". It makes some key points which show that business is no longer going to accept "knee jerk reactions" to consumer actions - here to carbon emissions and climate change with a special focus on "food miles":

• Tesco has backpedaled on its earlier decision to warn its consumers on airfreighted produce citing research had proved that certain airfreighting foods are less harmful to the environment than those grown locally.


• Paul Monaghan, the head of ethics and sustainability for the Co-operative Group has also warned that aeroplane logos on airfreight goods in shops did not reflect the scientific reality.


• Tesco and Marks & Spencer (M&S) -Kenya's biggest buyers who had introduced the aeroplane symbol on imported produce - said there has been no impact on the sales.


• Air-freighting fresh produce from the whole of sub-Saharan Africa accounts for less than 0.1 per cent of Britain's carbon emissions.


• "As a measurement tool, these aeroplane symbols are fundamentally flawed, as they do not reflect the total energy used in production and processing, only the energy used for transport, " said Joseph Muchemi, Kenya's high commissioner to the UK, at a recent crisis meeting-to discuss the impact of 'Food Miles' and carbon labeling on exports of fresh produce from Kenya with the UK stores officials.

Click here for the full article.