Foodsteps releases The Food Footprint 100 report
We are thrilled to announce the release of Foodsteps' new report on the carbon footprint of 100 typical UK foods and drinks. We are proud to present this report looking across the entire cradle-to-grave life cycle. We hope it will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, food producers and consumers looking to make more informed sustainable food choices.
Report Highlights
- Most of the food or drink impact will come from the farm stage, emphasising the importance of supporting farmers in their path to net zero.
- The carbon footprint of white wine is 53% higher than red wine.
- Butter has a carbon footprint five times higher than margarine.
- A low-carbon 5-a-day plan includes apples and oranges.
- Cooking your potatoes on the hob has 45% less impact than roasting them.
- Local isn't always better - tomatoes from the Mediterranean generally have a lower carbon footprint than those produced in the UK, by the time you eat them.
The footprints are for an average item consumed in the UK, which masks a range of impacts for different production systems in each case. For any businesses looking to measure and reduce the impact of your procurement, we would suggest working with your supply chain to understand its specific footprint in more detail, as your farmers may already be using innovative impact-reducing practices.
Thanks to our contributors, the Data and Science teams at Foodsteps and our communications team.
We pride ourselves in making the data in this report accessible, if you wish to see the data in a simple way you can view our online spreadsheet here.
