The Kenya High Commission in London has responded to today’s announcement from the Soil Association that airfreighted organic produce must adhere to stricter ‘ethical’ policies in order to be accredited and sold in the UK.
The Soil Association said its decision to open a consultation is the responsible thing to do as part of the fight against climate change. However, Kenya, as an exporting country, feels that airfreight has been unfairly picked out as being the prime contributor to carbon emissions and that the concept of ‘food miles’ as indicative of environmental sustainability is misleading.
The Kenyan horticultural industry and its exports to the UK currently supports around one million Kenyans and generates at least £100m per year and so plays a key role in its economy. “Today’s announcement raises the issue of farming methods in relation to carbon emissions. Developing markets such as Kenya actually use far less carbon intensive farming methods, and so the broader picture looks very different. In spite of this, 95 per cent of Kenya’s exports to the UK are sent by ship, which is far less intensive in terms of carbon emissions,” said a statement.
The high commission produced the following evidence to support its stance:
• Locally grown produce is not always more environmentally fit- “According to a Defra report, it is estimated that air-freighting from sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 0.1 per cent of the UK’s total carbon emissions whilst around 65 per cent of emissions relating to food are caused by transportation within Britain,” said the statement. “It is therefore important to examine this issue in a much wider context, and closer to home, before targeting developing countries such as Kenya whose emissions per capita are 0.9 tonnes as opposed to Europe’s 22t per capita.
“To put this into context, the UK’s minister for trade and development, Gareth Thomas MP recently noted that driving around six miles to a supermarket to buy some Kenyan green beans emits the same amount of carbon as air-freighting that pack of green beans. If you consider that the majority of Kenyan fresh produce is freighted in the hold of passenger aircraft then the emissions relating to that pack of green beans is even less.”
• Kenya’s Environmentally Friendly Farming Industry- “Unlike many Western farming methods, machinery is rarely used and Kenya’s indigenous geothermal energy provides a sustainable way to maintain humidity on flower farms,” the statement reads. “This year, the world's largest commercial project using solar panels for providing energy for farms was launched in Kenya. Water recycling systems on farms encourage plant growth and supports biodiversity.
Research from the University of Cranfield shows that produce grown in heated greenhouses in Europe is responsible for around six times the amount of emissions than its Kenyan counterparts even when taking airfreight into account. This is because Kenyan produce is ‘grown under the sun’. Similar studies have been conducted with refrigerators on ships which use more energy keeping the produce cold over long periods of time than a short journey by aeroplane.”
• Kenya’s Local Trade- “The Soil Association aims to cut down on airfreight with in eye to see a total ban in the future,” said the high commission. “The UK has always encouraged trade relationships with Kenya and the countries have been major trading partners for generations. Whilst the Kenyan economy and development is greatly enriched by high-value organic exports to the UK, Kenya is also leading the way in the East African Community in trading closer to home and will continue to build upon this local trade. It is well reported that a one per cent increase in Africa’s share of global trade would deliver seven times more than Africa receives in aid. This is a figure to bear in mind when African trade is put under threat.
• In Conclusion - “There are clear socio-economic benefits of organic farming in Kenya and it would be beneficial to nurture Kenyan organic farming. That said, it is the responsibility of The Soil Association, as a British body, to look at transportation and farming practices in the UK. British farmers currently have access to, among other things, subsidised diesel fuel for machinery which perhaps does send out the right message about emissions and climate change,” the statement concluded.
