The June 2013 G8 summit is taking place now against the stunning back drop of Lough Erne in Fermanagh . Next door to where the heads of state are ensconced is Fernay and White Island South, a long standing RSPB reserve managed for breeding waders. You should be able to spot these islands on most of the coverage of the summit. The RSPB in Lough Erne have a network of 39 islands which are bursting with wildlife with wading birds such as lapwing, sandwich terns, pine martens, red squirrels and otters all making their home here. Our work here and with land managers in the surrounding areas have made a haven for nature against a backdrop of wider declines as highlighted in the ‘State of Nature’ report.
According to the Government, the key focus for the UK’s G8 Presidency is on “...advancing trade...and promoting greater transparency, in order to drive lasting global prosperity.” The Government has also given development a significant place on the agenda and hosted a Hunger Summit in advance of the main G8 Summit itself. This has been welcomed by the Enough Food IF Campaign which is calling for the G8 to make strides towards a world free from hunger by introducing essential reforms.
But what does global prosperity mean? The term prosperity is often just used to mean a measure of economic progress but it can also convey health, happiness and a spiritual dimension. For me a world devoid of wildlife could not be prosperous. The production and trade of food has a profound effect on our natural environment. In some cases, trade can help alleviate pressure on the natural environment. In other cases, it is threatening the future of important species and habitats, and depleting natural resources. Yet the complexity of the global food system makes it incredibly difficult to figure out the environmental impact of our everyday purchases.
Unravelling this complexity in order to design policies which will deliver a more sustainable and secure food system is no easy task. However, it is clear that future trade reforms cannot afford to ignore the issue of sustainability (Foresight, 2010). Long-term we need robust environmental regulations/safeguards which protect natural habitats and wild species built into trade agreements. –According to a recent UNEP report ‘sustainable trade has the potential to maintain or increase agricultural output in the medium- and long-term while reducing resource use, preserving the natural environment and promoting food security. Sustainable trade – such as trade in certified products or in environmental goods and services – is on the rise in absolute terms, but remains a tiny fraction of total world trade’. A key to delivery will be transparency and traceability within the supply chain so we know what we are getting and how and where it has been produced.
But the need for change goes beyond just the way we trade food. The weight of evidence for the need to change our global food system is irrefutable and action is needed now to shape a more sustainable approach for the future. Many of these actions could be kicked off immediately.
The recent DFID select committee report on Global Food Security makes a number of helpful recommendations aimed at tackling world hunger. It highlighted that the amount of food available for human consumption could be greatly increased by revising biofuel targets to exclude agriculturally produced biofuels. It also joined the chorus of voices on the need to tackle food waste.
Perhaps most importantly the committee recognised the need for the UK to reduce meat consumption. Once a provocative idea, the fact that a government committee is calling for a reduction in meat consumption to help tackle future food security is a real step forward (happily this particular policy initiative would also help tackle health concerns!).
As we begin to reengineer our food system we can all make an impact as individuals by choosing the most sustainable options available. Making this choice is not always easy though and more work is needed to improve such schemes and make them easier to understand. Earlier this year, the report of the Ecosystems Market Task Force included, as one of its priority recommendations, a call for business “to explore and exploit untapped opportunities for rigorous and innovative nature-based certification and labelling that incorporate environmental protection”. The report made the point that, in order to be credible, such schemes must include rigorous standards and safeguards.
Creating demand for more sustainable products will play an important role alongside government regulation and other forms of public support in helping nature to thrive in a redesigned global food system.
Let us hope leaders of the G8 take inspiration from their surroundings at Lough Earne. Perhaps if they glance beyond the manicured lawns and catch a glimpse of the towering display fights of the redshank they will remind them of their responsibility for the natural world. Perhaps the gorgeous bubbling song of the curlew drifting in through the window will inspire them to think differently, factoring the natural world into their calculations to achieve a more prosperous future for people and wildlife.