In the absence of coherent government leadership on how a sustainable food system might work, retailers are trialling a variety of schemes, with mixed results.
Asda has announced that it will sell milk bearing a 'Pasture Promise' logo, from cows that have been kept outside for at least six months of the year, and for which farmers are guaranteed to have been paid a 'fair price'. The scheme is a triumph for the tiny Free Range Dairy Network, which has worked hard to promote the products of extensive, pasture-based livestock systems.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the food supply, Sainsbury's has abandoned a scheme that aimed to help consumers to halve their food waste, after a one-year trial showed the pilot was failing to achieve the target. But the supermarket said the scheme had not been a waste of time -- lessons had been learnt, and there was still a possibility that the project might be trialled again, in a modified form, in another locality. 'We have realised that this kind of behavioural change won’t happen overnight,' a spokesman said.
Sustain campaigns for a healthier, greener and fairer food system. Find more about our activities here.
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
