SA carbon cost study launched

2008-07-07 13:30

Pretoria - Research into the carbon footprint of the South African fruit and wine industry will enable it to better understand its impact on the environment, a United Kingdom government minister said on Monday.

Launching "groundbreaking" research into the carbon footprint of South African fruit and wine exports, Trade and Development Minister Gareth Thomas said the scheme would enable the food industry and its consumers to understand more about the effect of goods bought on climate change.

He was joined by UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

The scheme, jointly funded by the Department for International Development and the wine and fruit industry, would inform the development of further studies into the carbon footprint of food production.

"Food miles created are only one part of the equation - this study will look at the whole cycle of production, which is the only fair way to go," he said from a market in Pretoria.

"Our research has shown nearly three quarters of the UK public want to use their weekly shop to reduce poverty in the developing world. But they don't want to spend over the odds, especially with the global economic situation and they're, quite rightly, concerned about climate change."

Effects on climate change

He said the research would enable the South African industry - one of the biggest wine exporters in the world - to understand its carbon "cost" to the environment.

"This is crucial to maintaining South Africa's competitive position in global fruit and wine export markets in order to continue to employ local people."

Thomas said South Africa was already starting to see the effects of climate change on its exports. He used the example of how rainfall patterns were starting to affect the fruit and wine industry in the Western Cape.

The study would look at citrus fruit such as lemons and oranges, to apples and pears to wine, the major parts of South Africa's food exports.

Table grape producer Nthombi Msimang said: "Our buyers are increasingly asking difficult questions about our carbon footprint. This project will allow us to address their concerns, but more importantly, it will give us the tools needed to secure the industry's long-term sustainability and the jobs it provides."

According the UK government, seven out of 10 Africans depend on agriculture and the natural environment for their livelihoods.

This included several million people who relied partly on sales of fruit, vegetables, cocoa, coffee, tea and other agricultural commodities to the UK.

- SAPA