Almost £1.2 billion worth of food a year goes to waste on UK farms or ends up in uses such as feeding livestock instead of people, analysis suggests.

A study by waste and resources body WRAP found 3.6 million tonnes of vegetables, fruit, cereal crops, dairy and meat is wasted or not sold on for human consumption from farms, accounting for seven percent of total UK production.

The figures include 1.6 million tonnes of food at the point of harvest or slaughter which goes to waste, being sent of landfill, ploughed back into the ground, composted or used for energy and fertiliser in “anaerobic digestion”.

Lettuces

In addition, two million tonnes of food which had been intended for human consumption is “surplus”, produce at risk of being waste which ends up as livestock feed, redistributed to charities or is used for things such as colourants.

Food waste and surplus occurs as products are graded, packed and washed, or are rejected by customers, Wrap said.

The report found wasted food would have had a market value of around £650 million and and surplus food is estimated to be worth more than £500 million. It is hoped the report can help reduce waste.

It found sugar beet topped the list in terms of the total annual amount of waste, with 347,000 tonnes, followed by 335,000 tonnes of potatoes and 152,000 tonnes of carrots.

But other crops saw a very high proportion of their produce wasted, with almost a quarter of lettuces, 104,000 tonnes, going to waste.

Vast

Peter Maddox, director of WRAP said: “This is the most detailed study of food surplus and waste in primary production undertaken for the UK, and a key finding has been the range of waste across all food categories.

“This tells us is there is huge potential to reduce the amount of surplus and waste by promoting best practice, and that’s where our work is now focused.”

He said Wrap wanted to see increased redistribution of surplus food, as has happened in the retail sector.

Peter Andrews, head of sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Food waste is a major source of carbon emissions and we support Wrap’s efforts to mitigate it.

“The challenges involved in tackling food waste in farming are vast, but if we are to be serious about these environmental and social challenges of food production and consumption then we can leave no stone unturned.

Supply chain

“Retailers are working closely with their suppliers to minimise waste, for example by using more accurate prediction of demand, finding ways to use surplus production, and settings clear targets for future improvement.”

Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Growers Association said growers wanted to maximise sales of the produce grown on their land, because a failure to do so puts already slim margins under even greater pressure.

“As the sustainability of our food production systems comes under increasing scrutiny, reducing waste at every point in the food supply chain will be an increasing priority.

“Having new insights into the scale of food waste and under-utilised production on farm is a positive step forward, and a resource that should be of use to many growers and the wider supply chain.”

This Author

Emily Beament is the PA environment correspondent.

Almost £1.2 billion worth of food a year goes to waste on UK farms or ends up in uses such as feeding livestock instead of people, analysis suggests.

A study by waste and resources body WRAP found 3.6 million tonnes of vegetables, fruit, cereal crops, dairy and meat is wasted or not sold on for human consumption from farms, accounting for seven percent of total UK production.

The figures include 1.6 million tonnes of food at the point of harvest or slaughter which goes to waste, being sent of landfill, ploughed back into the ground, composted or used for energy and fertiliser in “anaerobic digestion”.

Lettuces

In addition, two million tonnes of food which had been intended for human consumption is “surplus”, produce at risk of being waste which ends up as livestock feed, redistributed to charities or is used for things such as colourants.

Food waste and surplus occurs as products are graded, packed and washed, or are rejected by customers, Wrap said.

The report found wasted food would have had a market value of around £650 million and and surplus food is estimated to be worth more than £500 million. It is hoped the report can help reduce waste.

It found sugar beet topped the list in terms of the total annual amount of waste, with 347,000 tonnes, followed by 335,000 tonnes of potatoes and 152,000 tonnes of carrots.

But other crops saw a very high proportion of their produce wasted, with almost a quarter of lettuces, 104,000 tonnes, going to waste.

Vast

Peter Maddox, director of WRAP said: “This is the most detailed study of food surplus and waste in primary production undertaken for the UK, and a key finding has been the range of waste across all food categories.

“This tells us is there is huge potential to reduce the amount of surplus and waste by promoting best practice, and that’s where our work is now focused.”

He said Wrap wanted to see increased redistribution of surplus food, as has happened in the retail sector.

Peter Andrews, head of sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Food waste is a major source of carbon emissions and we support Wrap’s efforts to mitigate it.

“The challenges involved in tackling food waste in farming are vast, but if we are to be serious about these environmental and social challenges of food production and consumption then we can leave no stone unturned.

Supply chain

“Retailers are working closely with their suppliers to minimise waste, for example by using more accurate prediction of demand, finding ways to use surplus production, and settings clear targets for future improvement.”

Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Growers Association said growers wanted to maximise sales of the produce grown on their land, because a failure to do so puts already slim margins under even greater pressure.

“As the sustainability of our food production systems comes under increasing scrutiny, reducing waste at every point in the food supply chain will be an increasing priority.

“Having new insights into the scale of food waste and under-utilised production on farm is a positive step forward, and a resource that should be of use to many growers and the wider supply chain.”

This Author

Emily Beament is the PA environment correspondent.

Almost £1.2 billion worth of food a year goes to waste on UK farms or ends up in uses such as feeding livestock instead of people, analysis suggests.

A study by waste and resources body WRAP found 3.6 million tonnes of vegetables, fruit, cereal crops, dairy and meat is wasted or not sold on for human consumption from farms, accounting for seven percent of total UK production.

The figures include 1.6 million tonnes of food at the point of harvest or slaughter which goes to waste, being sent of landfill, ploughed back into the ground, composted or used for energy and fertiliser in “anaerobic digestion”.

Lettuces

In addition, two million tonnes of food which had been intended for human consumption is “surplus”, produce at risk of being waste which ends up as livestock feed, redistributed to charities or is used for things such as colourants.

Food waste and surplus occurs as products are graded, packed and washed, or are rejected by customers, Wrap said.

The report found wasted food would have had a market value of around £650 million and and surplus food is estimated to be worth more than £500 million. It is hoped the report can help reduce waste.

It found sugar beet topped the list in terms of the total annual amount of waste, with 347,000 tonnes, followed by 335,000 tonnes of potatoes and 152,000 tonnes of carrots.

But other crops saw a very high proportion of their produce wasted, with almost a quarter of lettuces, 104,000 tonnes, going to waste.

Vast

Peter Maddox, director of WRAP said: “This is the most detailed study of food surplus and waste in primary production undertaken for the UK, and a key finding has been the range of waste across all food categories.

“This tells us is there is huge potential to reduce the amount of surplus and waste by promoting best practice, and that’s where our work is now focused.”

He said Wrap wanted to see increased redistribution of surplus food, as has happened in the retail sector.

Peter Andrews, head of sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Food waste is a major source of carbon emissions and we support Wrap’s efforts to mitigate it.

“The challenges involved in tackling food waste in farming are vast, but if we are to be serious about these environmental and social challenges of food production and consumption then we can leave no stone unturned.

Supply chain

“Retailers are working closely with their suppliers to minimise waste, for example by using more accurate prediction of demand, finding ways to use surplus production, and settings clear targets for future improvement.”

Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Growers Association said growers wanted to maximise sales of the produce grown on their land, because a failure to do so puts already slim margins under even greater pressure.

“As the sustainability of our food production systems comes under increasing scrutiny, reducing waste at every point in the food supply chain will be an increasing priority.

“Having new insights into the scale of food waste and under-utilised production on farm is a positive step forward, and a resource that should be of use to many growers and the wider supply chain.”

This Author

Emily Beament is the PA environment correspondent.

Theresa Villiers – who supports a no deal Brexit and has voted against a ban on fracking exploration – has been appointed secretary of state for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by Boris Johnson during his first day as prime minister.

The Conservative MP takes over from Michael Gove who had spent 18 months at DEFRA and surprised some environmental campaigners by supporting more progressive policies, from banning plastic straws to meeting campaigners calling for a ban on trophy hunting. 

The Chipping Barnet MP is, it seems, being rewarded for supporting Johnson’s argument in favour of a ‘no deal’ Brexit. However, crashing out of the European Union could mean the UK losing much of its environmental protections and regulation.

Shale

The UK would also be vulnerable to trade deals – including with the US – that would result in the import of food produced to lower standards such as hormone treated meat and chlorinated chicken, campaigners have argued. 

The new environment secretary does not have a particularly high profile – beyond confessing on Question Time that she had tried to smoke cannabis at university on more than one occasion. She has previously served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and a minister in the Department for Transport. 

In her time as an MP she has voted against a ban on shale gas exportation and has appeared to downplay the concerns about fracking in a statement on her website, which stated: “We need to strike the right balance between the legitimate concerns of landowners, and the benefits to society as a whole of permitting development.”

According to They Work for You: “Theresa Villiers voted not to ban the exploitation of unconventional petroleum for at least 18 months and not to require a review of the impact of such exploitation on climate change, the environment, the economy, and health and safety be carried out and published.”

Action

Further, she tied against a bill in 2013 setting a target for the amount of greenhouse gas produced by the UK – significant because she now holds some of the responsibility for ensuring the government meets the 2030 net zero target emissions. It is also reported that Villiers voted against a 2012 bill requiring the Green Investment Bank to support lower carbon emission targets. 

However, she said in a statement on Facebook this year: “Action on climate change is vital. Significant progress has been made, with a third of our electricity now generated by clean renewable power sources. We are also the first major developed economy to make a commitment that we will end the use of unmitigated coal in electricity generation.”

She has also made public statements against the expansion of Heathrow Airport – although not going quite as far as Johnson in promising to lye down in front of the bulldozers to stop any development. She said in 2016: “We should not make a serious problem even worse by trying to expand Heathrow.”

Villiers has argued recently that “excessive, long-distance transport of live animals for slaughter can cause great suffering”. This has given some campaigners hope that she will be open to discussions about animal welfare. She has voted for the cull on badgers. She has also voted against bans on smoking.  

This Author

Brendan Montague is editor of The Ecologist.
 

Animals like roe deer and magpies are not able to adapt quickly enough to keep pace with the changing climate, scientists say.

Although some species respond to increasing temperatures, research suggests these adaptations may not be happening at a rate that guarantees the long-term persistence of some populations.

Populations of European roe deer, song sparrow, common murre and Eurasian magpie were among those at risk.

Temperatures

The meta-analysis published in Nature Communications suggests historical timing of species’ life cycle events (phenology) like migration and breeding is mismatched to current climate.

Scientists say animals can potentially respond by altering their phenology, but only if there is enough genetic variation in their behaviour or development.

The team reviewed 10,090 scientific abstracts and extracted data from 71 published studies that represented 17 species in 13 countries, to assess animal responses to climate change, focusing particularly on birds.

Lead author Viktoriia Radchuk from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Germany, said: “Our research focused on birds because complete data on other groups were scarce.

“We demonstrate that in temperate regions, the rising temperatures are associated with the shift of the timing of biological events to earlier dates.”

Conservation

Co-author Steven Beissinger, professor at the University of California in Berkeley, added: “This suggests that species could stay in their warming habitat, as long as they change fast enough to cope with climate change.”

However, senior author Alexandre Courtiol, also of Leibniz-IZW, said: “This is unlikely to be the case because even populations undergoing adaptive change do so at a pace that does not guarantee their persistence.”

The scientists said it was of greater concern that the data analysed included predominantly common and abundant species such as the great tit, the European pied flycatcher or the common magpie, which are known to cope with climate change relatively well.

Stephanie Kramer-Schadt of Leibniz-IZW concluded: “Adaptive responses among rare or endangered species remain to be analysed. We fear that the forecasts of population persistence for such species of conservation concern will be even more pessimistic.” 

The researchers hope their analysis and the assembled datasets will stimulate research on the resilience of animal populations in the face of global change. They further hope it will contribute to a better predictive framework to assist future conservation management actions.

This Author

Nina Massey is the PA science correspondent.

Animals like roe deer and magpies are not able to adapt quickly enough to keep pace with the changing climate, scientists say.

Although some species respond to increasing temperatures, research suggests these adaptations may not be happening at a rate that guarantees the long-term persistence of some populations.

Populations of European roe deer, song sparrow, common murre and Eurasian magpie were among those at risk.

Temperatures

The meta-analysis published in Nature Communications suggests historical timing of species’ life cycle events (phenology) like migration and breeding is mismatched to current climate.

Scientists say animals can potentially respond by altering their phenology, but only if there is enough genetic variation in their behaviour or development.

The team reviewed 10,090 scientific abstracts and extracted data from 71 published studies that represented 17 species in 13 countries, to assess animal responses to climate change, focusing particularly on birds.

Lead author Viktoriia Radchuk from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Germany, said: “Our research focused on birds because complete data on other groups were scarce.

“We demonstrate that in temperate regions, the rising temperatures are associated with the shift of the timing of biological events to earlier dates.”

Conservation

Co-author Steven Beissinger, professor at the University of California in Berkeley, added: “This suggests that species could stay in their warming habitat, as long as they change fast enough to cope with climate change.”

However, senior author Alexandre Courtiol, also of Leibniz-IZW, said: “This is unlikely to be the case because even populations undergoing adaptive change do so at a pace that does not guarantee their persistence.”

The scientists said it was of greater concern that the data analysed included predominantly common and abundant species such as the great tit, the European pied flycatcher or the common magpie, which are known to cope with climate change relatively well.

Stephanie Kramer-Schadt of Leibniz-IZW concluded: “Adaptive responses among rare or endangered species remain to be analysed. We fear that the forecasts of population persistence for such species of conservation concern will be even more pessimistic.” 

The researchers hope their analysis and the assembled datasets will stimulate research on the resilience of animal populations in the face of global change. They further hope it will contribute to a better predictive framework to assist future conservation management actions.

This Author

Nina Massey is the PA science correspondent.

Animals like roe deer and magpies are not able to adapt quickly enough to keep pace with the changing climate, scientists say.

Although some species respond to increasing temperatures, research suggests these adaptations may not be happening at a rate that guarantees the long-term persistence of some populations.

Populations of European roe deer, song sparrow, common murre and Eurasian magpie were among those at risk.

Temperatures

The meta-analysis published in Nature Communications suggests historical timing of species’ life cycle events (phenology) like migration and breeding is mismatched to current climate.

Scientists say animals can potentially respond by altering their phenology, but only if there is enough genetic variation in their behaviour or development.

The team reviewed 10,090 scientific abstracts and extracted data from 71 published studies that represented 17 species in 13 countries, to assess animal responses to climate change, focusing particularly on birds.

Lead author Viktoriia Radchuk from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Germany, said: “Our research focused on birds because complete data on other groups were scarce.

“We demonstrate that in temperate regions, the rising temperatures are associated with the shift of the timing of biological events to earlier dates.”

Conservation

Co-author Steven Beissinger, professor at the University of California in Berkeley, added: “This suggests that species could stay in their warming habitat, as long as they change fast enough to cope with climate change.”

However, senior author Alexandre Courtiol, also of Leibniz-IZW, said: “This is unlikely to be the case because even populations undergoing adaptive change do so at a pace that does not guarantee their persistence.”

The scientists said it was of greater concern that the data analysed included predominantly common and abundant species such as the great tit, the European pied flycatcher or the common magpie, which are known to cope with climate change relatively well.

Stephanie Kramer-Schadt of Leibniz-IZW concluded: “Adaptive responses among rare or endangered species remain to be analysed. We fear that the forecasts of population persistence for such species of conservation concern will be even more pessimistic.” 

The researchers hope their analysis and the assembled datasets will stimulate research on the resilience of animal populations in the face of global change. They further hope it will contribute to a better predictive framework to assist future conservation management actions.

This Author

Nina Massey is the PA science correspondent.

Animals like roe deer and magpies are not able to adapt quickly enough to keep pace with the changing climate, scientists say.

Although some species respond to increasing temperatures, research suggests these adaptations may not be happening at a rate that guarantees the long-term persistence of some populations.

Populations of European roe deer, song sparrow, common murre and Eurasian magpie were among those at risk.

Temperatures

The meta-analysis published in Nature Communications suggests historical timing of species’ life cycle events (phenology) like migration and breeding is mismatched to current climate.

Scientists say animals can potentially respond by altering their phenology, but only if there is enough genetic variation in their behaviour or development.

The team reviewed 10,090 scientific abstracts and extracted data from 71 published studies that represented 17 species in 13 countries, to assess animal responses to climate change, focusing particularly on birds.

Lead author Viktoriia Radchuk from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Germany, said: “Our research focused on birds because complete data on other groups were scarce.

“We demonstrate that in temperate regions, the rising temperatures are associated with the shift of the timing of biological events to earlier dates.”

Conservation

Co-author Steven Beissinger, professor at the University of California in Berkeley, added: “This suggests that species could stay in their warming habitat, as long as they change fast enough to cope with climate change.”

However, senior author Alexandre Courtiol, also of Leibniz-IZW, said: “This is unlikely to be the case because even populations undergoing adaptive change do so at a pace that does not guarantee their persistence.”

The scientists said it was of greater concern that the data analysed included predominantly common and abundant species such as the great tit, the European pied flycatcher or the common magpie, which are known to cope with climate change relatively well.

Stephanie Kramer-Schadt of Leibniz-IZW concluded: “Adaptive responses among rare or endangered species remain to be analysed. We fear that the forecasts of population persistence for such species of conservation concern will be even more pessimistic.” 

The researchers hope their analysis and the assembled datasets will stimulate research on the resilience of animal populations in the face of global change. They further hope it will contribute to a better predictive framework to assist future conservation management actions.

This Author

Nina Massey is the PA science correspondent.

Animals like roe deer and magpies are not able to adapt quickly enough to keep pace with the changing climate, scientists say.

Although some species respond to increasing temperatures, research suggests these adaptations may not be happening at a rate that guarantees the long-term persistence of some populations.

Populations of European roe deer, song sparrow, common murre and Eurasian magpie were among those at risk.

Temperatures

The meta-analysis published in Nature Communications suggests historical timing of species’ life cycle events (phenology) like migration and breeding is mismatched to current climate.

Scientists say animals can potentially respond by altering their phenology, but only if there is enough genetic variation in their behaviour or development.

The team reviewed 10,090 scientific abstracts and extracted data from 71 published studies that represented 17 species in 13 countries, to assess animal responses to climate change, focusing particularly on birds.

Lead author Viktoriia Radchuk from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Germany, said: “Our research focused on birds because complete data on other groups were scarce.

“We demonstrate that in temperate regions, the rising temperatures are associated with the shift of the timing of biological events to earlier dates.”

Conservation

Co-author Steven Beissinger, professor at the University of California in Berkeley, added: “This suggests that species could stay in their warming habitat, as long as they change fast enough to cope with climate change.”

However, senior author Alexandre Courtiol, also of Leibniz-IZW, said: “This is unlikely to be the case because even populations undergoing adaptive change do so at a pace that does not guarantee their persistence.”

The scientists said it was of greater concern that the data analysed included predominantly common and abundant species such as the great tit, the European pied flycatcher or the common magpie, which are known to cope with climate change relatively well.

Stephanie Kramer-Schadt of Leibniz-IZW concluded: “Adaptive responses among rare or endangered species remain to be analysed. We fear that the forecasts of population persistence for such species of conservation concern will be even more pessimistic.” 

The researchers hope their analysis and the assembled datasets will stimulate research on the resilience of animal populations in the face of global change. They further hope it will contribute to a better predictive framework to assist future conservation management actions.

This Author

Nina Massey is the PA science correspondent.

How often have you been a passenger in a car and counted the foxes, badgers, deer and rabbits that you’ve seen (alive or dead) on the roadside? What about all the mammals you’ve seen whilst you’re out on your morning dog walk or weekend stroll?

These sightings feel significant, but how can you report them? The Mammal Society have developed a user-friendly app, Mammal Mapper, that enables you to capture these records on your phone, as you go, recording not only species details but also time and location.

The Mammal Society have just launched a brand new version of their free Mammal Mapper app, with easier recording and merging of the functions of their two older apps, Mammal Tracker and the original Mammal Mapper. The updated app, which previously allowed users to map an entire route and the mammals seen along it, also now allows users to log one-off sightings.

Wildlife conservation

Users of the app are therefore able to build a library of the mammals and mammal signs they have spotted, as well as the routes they have followed. This information can then be submitted to help scientists and data analysts understand more about the distribution of mammals across Britain.

The Mammal Society’s Science Officer Frazer Coomber said: “Feedback from users of both of our apps told us that users wanted to be able to record one off sightings, as well as record mammals spotted along a route.

“On top of this we’ve improved the scope and content of our ID guides to include more information as well giving more sign and observation options which means that people can now record feeding remains, roadkill and other indicators of mammal presence.”

The app also now contains a field to enter a Survey ID meaning that users can take part in dedicated surveys being run by the Mammal Society and essentially become ecologists.

Over the next few months the public are invited to take part in the charity’s “Walk This Water Way” citizen science project. Users of the app are being asked to walk along waterways and use the Mammal Mapper app with “WTWW” as the Survey ID, whilst recording sightings of semi aquatic mammals such as otters, American mink and water voles.

As it’s been ten years since the last National Otter Survey, the charity are particularly keen to re-evaluate otter distribution across the UK and see much of the UK has been recolonised by these animals. Whether you’re on a solo walk or out with the family, this is a fun way of recording what you’ve seen, and even what you haven’t seen, and contributing towards wildlife conservation.

Incredible information 

Frazer explained: “With the data uploaded from the app we can identify where people are actually looking for mammals and where they aren’t.

“At the very least, this tells us that the gaps on our maps don’t necessarily mean that there are no mammals there, but rather people aren’t looking there. This is incredibly useful information and means that users can contribute to conservation efforts at zero cost while simply going about their daily business.”

Do you want to get involved? For more information about the Mammal Mapper App, visit the website. 

Image: tsaiproject, Flickr.