Consumers should eat fewer bananas, avocados, melons and mangos to help save the planet, a controversial new report has claimed.
Zerocarbonbritain2030, published by the Centre for Alternative Technology last week, argued the UK could cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2030, but massive changes in diet would be needed involving increased horticultural production in the UK and a possible reduction in fresh produce imports.
The report said the UK could grow most of its own food while still producing biomass for heating, electricity and transport fuel. It argued for a reduction in meat and dairy production, but insisted imports by air would also cease and sendings of seafreighted staples as bananas, avocados, melons and mangoes would decline markedly.
“In our scenario there would be a huge amount of protected cropping with a much longer growing season using de-carbonised energy,” said CAT research head Peter Harper, adding that much of the land given over to such horticultural production would be around cities.
The NFU described the report as a “mixed bag”, praising the idea that UK farmers can grow the majority of food but arguing against a decline in livestock levels.
“Farm businesses have much to gain from energy efficiency and are willing and able to harness land-based renewable energy of many kinds,” said chief renewable energy and climate change adviser, Jonathan Scurlock.
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