Sustainability and
the environment
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Learning objectives
•
To recognise the global challenges for food
production.
•
To examine the concept of sustainability and
the future of food and farming.
•
To review consumer perceptions to farming
and sustainability issues.
•
To describe the impact of farming on the
environment in the UK.
•
To explore the commitment from the British
dairy industry to meeting the challenge of
producing more from less, reducing
environmental impact and planning a more
sustainable future.
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Welcome
To explore this topic, click on the
following icons. These are located at
the bottom of each screen.
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Main menu (home)
Click on the section you wish to explore.
Questions are also available for each section.
Section 1: Sustainability
Questions
Section 2: The environment
Questions
Section 3: The dairy farming road map
Questions
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End
Section 1: Sustainability
Click on the section you wish to explore.
a) Healthy sustainable diets
b) Health and sustainability
c) The future of food and farming
d) Food security
e) Consumer interest
f) Action
g) Adopt The eatwell plate dietary
h) Reduce household waste
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Healthy sustainable diets
How can we achieve a dietary pattern that
provides us with the many nutrients we need
for health, in appropriate amounts, but that is
also equitable, affordable and
sustainable? And, how do we produce more
food with fewer resources, such as land,
water and fuel, to feed the growing global
population?
These are some of the key questions that we
face in the 21st century and which we need
to find answers to, and quickly.
Many people from government, farming,
food industry, academia and other sectors
are working together on this important
issue. The aim is to find solutions to these
challenges that are evidence-based, realistic
and will achieve the required impact both in
the UK and globally.
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This is an emerging area and we do not
have all the answers yet. Though what
we do know is that we need to start
taking action now to secure a
sustainable global food supply for future
generations, and that all sectors of
society have a role to play.
There are currently huge pressures on the
global food system. The demand for
food is increasing with the growing global
population (which is expected to
increase from 7 billion today to over 9
billion by 2050) and also with the increase
in wealth in emerging economies, as this
creates demand for a more varied, high
quality diet (i.e. typically more meat and
dairy foods).
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To simply produce more food using current
production methods and technologies to
meet this increased demand is
unsustainable, as this would require more
land, more water and more energy, which
are finite resources. At the same time,
climate change is occurring and will
become increasingly apparent unless we
take action now.
According to the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF), we are already consuming natural
resources at a faster rate than the planet’s
capacity to replenish them.
The WWF calculates that if the world’s
population consumed natural resources at
the rate of the UK we would need three
planets to support us, clearly illustrating
that things need to change.
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A recent government report by
Foresight (2011) titled The Future of
Food and Farming: challenges and
choices for global sustainability
defined sustainable / sustainability as:
'A system or state where the needs of
the present and local population can
be met without diminishing the ability
of future generations or populations in
other locations to meet their needs
and without causing harm to the
environment and natural assets.'
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs
/food-and-farming/11-546-future-of-foodand-farming-report.pdf
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Defining a ‘sustainable diet’ is a complex
issue and there are many factors to
consider. As well as environmental,
social and economic factors, a key
factor is that food is a basic need.
A healthy, varied diet provides us with
the energy and nutrients we need for
health, normal body function and
physical activity.
This emphasises the need for health and
sustainability agendas to be considered
in tandem, in order to achieve a
sustainable and secure food supply for
future generations that also supports
public health.
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Health and sustainability
Food not only provides us with the fuel
and nutrients to sustain life but is a big
part of many cultures and plays a
significant role socially.
In the UK, most of us are fortunate
enough to eat what we like, when we
like. In today’s global food market, we
have come to expect to buy most foods
all year round, such as leeks in summer
and strawberries at Christmas time.
Most of us eat regularly throughout the
day, often without giving much thought
to where the food has come from or
how it was produced. But looking
ahead, we will need to change our food
consumption patterns.
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The need to change what we chose to
eat is further highlighted when we
consider the global health challenges
that we face, specifically that:
• Over one billion people worldwide are
overweight or obese;
• One billion others do not have access
to adequate food; and
• An additional one billion have
inadequate micronutrient intakes.
Ending hunger is one of the key
challenges to address at a global
level. This goes beyond simply producing
enough food in the world so that
everyone can potentially be fed, as this
food needs to be accessible and
affordable by all.
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In the UK, we see evidence of both overand under-consumption of dietary energy
and nutrients – despite more than 60% of
adults currently classified as overweight or
obese, many people still have inadequate
intakes of some micronutrients due to poor
dietary choices.
Overall, we need diets that are both
healthy and sustainable. This creates the
opportunity for environmental and other
sustainability messages to be tagged onto
current messages about healthy eating.
But what is a healthy, sustainable diet?
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The FAO (Food and Agricultural
Organization of the United Nations)
defines ‘sustainable diets’ as:
'Those diets with low environmental
impacts which contribute to food and
nutrition security and to healthy life for
present and future generations.
Sustainable diets are protective and
respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems,
culturally acceptable, accessible,
economically fair and affordable;
nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy;
while optimising natural and human
resources.'
For further information about
FAO, go to:
http://www.fao.org/home/en/
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The Future of Food and Farming
In January 2011, the Government Office for
Science published its Foresight report The
Future of Food and Farming: Challenges
and choices for global sustainability. Over
400 experts and stakeholders from about 35
countries were involved in the development
of the report.
It is a comprehensive report of over 200
pages and also provides access to over 100
peer-reviewed evidence papers that were
commissioned as part of the project.
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The aim of the project was to explore the
pressures on the global food system
between now and 2050 and identify the
decisions that policy makers need to take
today, and in the years ahead, to ensure
that a global population rising to nine billion
or more can be fed sustainably and
equitably.
Sustainability, as used in the report, implies
the use of resources at rates that do not
exceed the capacity of the Earth to replace
them.
The findings of the report emphasise the
importance of the public health and food
supply sustainability agendas to be
considered in tandem, in order to be
successful in ensuring food security and
supporting public health.
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The report identifies the key drivers of change
affecting the food system, including changes in values
and ethical stances of consumers. It also identifies five
key challenges for the global food system:
1. Balancing future demand and supply sustainably –
to ensure that food supplies are affordable.
2. Ensuring there is adequate stability in food supplies
– and protecting the most vulnerable from the
volatility that does occur.
3. Achieving global access to food and ending
hunger (food security for all).
4. Managing the contribution of the food system to
the mitigation of climate change.
5. Maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services
while feeding the world.
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As part of the challenge to balance future
demand and supply sustainably, the report
discusses the need to influence consumer
demand for foods by changing people’s
diets.
It recognises that changing diets is difficult
and will require concerted and committed
actions, possibly over long timescales.
It considers that the guiding principles for
policy makers if they decide to influence
patterns of consumption should be: better
decisions are made by an informed
consumer; simple, consistent and trusted
information on food is important; and
Government fiscal and regulatory
intervention ideally requires societal
consensus.
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The report concludes that no single
approach can meet all of the complex
challenges affecting the food system, and
that decisive action is needed across a wide
front.
The report provides 12 cross-cutting actions
as key priorities for policy-makers, including
to reduce food waste and to work to
change consumption patterns.
Source:http://webarchive.nationalarchives.
gov.uk/+/http://www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/o
ur-work/projects/current-projects/globalfood-and-farming-futures/reports-andpublications
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Food security
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) definition of food security is for all
consumers to have access at all times to sufficient, safe
and nutritious food for an active and healthy life at
affordable prices. Understanding of the term ‘food
security’ had little resonance with the general public.
In a survey:
• two thirds of respondents could not provide an
answer;
• 4% of respondents linked the term to the availability
of enough food to feed the population and 75% of
respondents had no recollection of the food
security topic being discussed in the media.
Concerns about UK and international food security
stem from security of key inputs such as energy and
water, potential impact of global climate change and
the recent economic crisis and current recession.
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Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foodstatistics-pocketbook-2012
Understanding of the term ‘food security ’
Chart showing spontaneous understanding to the term
‘food security’.
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An increasing global population will
require a lot more food to be produced
and distributed.
The Foresight report emphasised the
need for sustainable intensification:
simultaneously raising yields, increasing
the efficiency with which inputs are
used and reducing the negative
environmental impacts of food
production.
Determining how intensive and how
sustainable UK food production should
be is a challenging and potentially
controversial area.
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Consumer interest
Research undertake by Which? has shown that many
people are interested in the origin of their food –
particularly meat and dairy products. In most cases, this is
because people want to support British producers.
The extent to which food travels is an important factor, but
not always the most important consideration when
determining the environmental impact of food products.
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Future of food, Which?, April 2013 http://press.which.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/Future-of-Food-Report-2013_Final.pdf
While many people may think of buying
local and in season as being an important
part of action to reduce the environmental
impact of what is eaten, the concept of
food miles in reality is no longer considered
an indicator of the likely environmental
impact of food production.
The whole life cycle of a product from the
source and production methods, inputs
such as animal feed or pesticides have
through to transport, preparation,
consumption and ultimately waste have to
be taken into account.
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Action
By changing our diets – the types of foods
we eat and how often we eat certain
foods – there is potential to ease the
pressures on the global food system.
However, exactly which changes we
should make to ensure that we have a
healthy and sustainable diet are not yet
known.
As yet there is no simple set of principles
that we as consumers can apply, in all
cases, to identify foods that are more
sustainable than others.
However, there is enough evidence to
support specific actions now in the UK with
regards to: following The eatwell plate
dietary pattern and reducing food waste in
the home.
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Adopt the Eatwell plate
dietary pattern
The eatwell plate is designed
to help all those aged over 2
years of age to eat a healthy,
balanced diet as it shows how
much of what is eaten should
come from each food group.
The eatwell plate model has
been promoted in the UK for
many years, though most of us
still eat too much saturated
fat, sugar and salt, too little
fibre, and too few fruits and
vegetables.
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As well as improving health, there is
growing evidence that following the
Eatwell dietary pattern will also help
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
associated with food production.
Also, it is generally accepted that
sustainable dietary patterns for the
future can justifiably include a variety
of both plant and animal foods to
support health and promote
biodiversity. This is particularly
important as different foods contain
different nutrients, and therefore we
need to eat a variety of foods to
obtain sufficient amounts of the many
nutrients we need for health.
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Source: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/sustainability
The eatwell plate model shows that we
should eat some foods from each of the
main four food groups every day, with
more of some foods than others. Our
diets should be based on starchy
carbohydrate foods (e.g. bread,
potatoes, rice and pasta), as well as
plenty of fruits and vegetables.
A variety of foods from these two food
groups should make up two-thirds of the
food we eat. Most of the remaining third
of the diet should be made up of milk
and dairy foods, meat, fish, eggs, beans
and other non-dairy sources of protein.
Foods in the fifth group (foods and drinks
high in fat and/or sugar) (e.g. cakes,
chocolate, sweets, biscuits, fizzy drinks,
crisps) can also be included sparingly in
our diets for palatability.
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For more information about The
eatwell dietary pattern, click here.
Source: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/sustainability
Reduce household food waste
It is estimated that UK households waste
8.3 million tonnes of food every year,
costing them £12 billion and contributing
3% of UK greenhouse gas emissions.
The problem with food waste from a
sustainability perspective relates to the
precious resources that are used in the
production of the food (i.e. water, land
and energy) and also the carbon
emissions associated with its disposal.
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We can follow these simple tips to
reduce food waste in the home:
• avoid cooking more food than is
required;
• plan meals before going to the
shops and only buy what is needed;
• use foods before they reach their
‘use-by’ date. Keep an eye on
foods with a ‘best-before’ date and
try to eat these foods before this
date to ensure that the quality is still
high (more information on use-by
and best-before date labels can be
found here );
• find creative ways to use leftovers;
• follow the storage instructions on
food labels.
Source: Love Food Hate Waste
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For more details on how to reduce
household food waste, visit the
Love Food Hate Waste campaign
website
(www.lovefoodhatewaste.com).
Section 2: The environment
Agriculture provides around threequarters of the food we eat and is the
dominant form of land use.
Along with other land management
practices and activities, agriculture helps
to shape the landscape and provide
habitats for wildlife. These practices can
have a profound impact on soils, water
bodies, air quality, biodiversity and
ecosystems.
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Methane emissions
This chart shows agriculture’s contribution to total UK
methane emissions. In 2011, the main sources of
methane were agriculture (43%) and landfill sites (34%).
https://www.gov.uk/uk-greenhouse-gasemissions#uk-emissions-statistics
Defra, observatory monitoring
framework, Feb 2013
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UK methane emissions, excluding those from
natural sources, were 2.2% below 2010 and 58%
below 1990 levels. The major agricultural sources
of methane are enteric fermentation (digestive
processes) and manure management. Since
1990 emissions of all three greenhouse gases
from agriculture (Methane, Nitrous Oxide,
Carbon Dioxide), have shown a steady decline.
By 2011, methane emissions from agriculture had
fallen by 20%. Between 2010 and 2011 there was
a 0.5% decrease in the level of methane
emissions from agriculture.
Agri-environment schemes provide payments to
farmers who adopt land management and farm
practices that are beneficial to the environment.
The level of uptake of such schemes provides
some indication of the extent of environmentally
sensitive farming.
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Section 3: The dairy farming road map
Since 2008, the British dairy industry has
publically published a report detailing its
commitment to meeting the challenge of
producing more from less, reducing
environmental impact and planning a more
sustainable future.
The annual reports detail progress made to
specific measureable targets and introduces
new targets, underlining farmers’ commitment
to producing more while impacting less. This is
known as the Dairy Roadmap.
For more information on The dairy
farming road map, go to:
http://www.dairyroadmap.com/
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The Dairy Roadmap taskforce features more
than 25 organisations from across Britain’s
dairy industry including farming
representatives, retailers, dairy
manufacturers, government and industry
partners. Together, these organisations
define targets and produce regular reports
on progress that the industry is making on
environmental matters.
This approach is unique to Britain, focusing
on the supply chain, from farmers through to
retailers, coming together to agree a broad
programme with time-bound and
environmental sustainability targets.
The Milk Roadmap originally focused solely
on the liquid milk sector, yet now it covers
total dairy production.
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Select an option
Explore the targets for dairy farmers.
By 2015
By 2020
Read the case studies.
David Harding – countryside custodian
Steve Edmunds – alternative energy production
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2015 Dairy farmer targets
Select a target to explore in more detail.
1) 90% of dairy farmers are
actively nutrient management
planning.
2) 65% of dairy managed
farmland into Environmental
Stewardship Schemes.
3) 70% uptake of water use
efficiency measures.
4) 10 – 15% of dairy farmers
investigating and/or
implementing at least one form
of renewable energy
technology.
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5) 50% of dairy farmers
implementing new
developments and / or
technologies to reduce
emissions from agriculture.
6) Declining trend in serious
pollution incidents on-farm.
7) Dairy farmers encouraged to
calculate carbon footprints and
implement carbon reduction
plans.
2015 Dairy farmer targets
Target 1: 90% of dairy farmers are actively nutrient
management planning.
Good nutrient planning ensures that the nutrients applied,
either as artificial fertiliser or organic manures, match
requirements for optimal plant growth, and replace the
mineral nutrients removed when the crop is harvested. This
requires a good understanding of crop nutrition, up to date
information on soil nutrient status and manure composition,
appropriate application techniques, and careful timing of
application to maximise nutrient uptake by the growing
plant.
Nutrient Management plans help farmers and growers to
plan the use of fertilisers and manure, meet regulatory
demands and protect the environment. The proportion of
dairy holdings with a nutrient management plan has
reached 73% . This figure is up from 60% in 2009.
At the current rate of progress, the industry is on target to
achieve 90% of farmers actively nutrient planning by 2015.
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2015 Dairy farmer targets
Target 2: 65% of dairy managed farmland into
Environmental Stewardship Schemes.
There are 5,170 agreements in place where dairy farmers
are currently part of an Environmental Stewardship
Scheme (ESS)in England. As a result, the total area of dairy
holdings in an ESS is 841,810 hectare (ha), which represents
approximately 69% of dairy managed farmland.
The majority of English dairy farmers participating in an
agri-environment scheme receive payments under the
Entry Level Stewardship Scheme to help with
environmental management.
The most popular environmental options for dairy farmers
are:
• Hedgerow management which is designed to support
wildlife habitat whilst improving the local landscape
and historic boundaries.
• Permanent grassland with low inputs, which is designed
to support a greater variety of plants and wildlife.
•
Protection of in field trees, which helps provide wildlife
habitat.
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2015 Dairy farmer targets
Target 3: 70% uptake of water use efficiency
measures.
Figures of around 1,000 litres have been quoted as a global
average for the quantity of water required to produce a litre
of milk. However, due to our temperate climate, the UK dairy
industry does not need to use irrigated water. Most UK dairy
feed comes from rain-fed crops, which means only 7-8 litres
of water are needed from mains supply, or are abstracted
from rivers or boreholes, to produce a litre of milk.
The results of a DairyCo Resources Survey that took place in
December 2012 demonstrate an increasing farmer interest in
water usage:
• 78% were implementing efficiency measures, and a third
of these were considering taking further steps to improve
water efficiency;
• Of these, 31% collect rain water, 94% re-use water from
the plate cooler, while 53% have diversified water supplies
using borehole water;
• 61% of dairy farmers were using metered water, and 96%
checked regularly for leaks.
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2015 Dairy farmer targets
Target 4: 10 – 15% of dairy farmers
investigating and/or implementing at least
one form of renewable energy technology.
Investigating and/or implementing some form of
renewable energy is becoming increasingly
popular amongst farmers. Renewable energy is
seen as a form of farm diversification and
alternative source of income as it can help to
reduce energy bills and create revenue.
•
•
•
28.9% of respondents to the DairyCo Resources
Survey had implemented some form of
renewable energy
Of these, 71.1% had installed solar photovoltaic
(PV) panels, 22.3% had erected wind turbines,
and 5.0% had put in Anaerobic Digestion (AD)
plants
38.7% of respondents had plans to introduce
some form of renewable energy
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2015 Dairy farmer targets
Target 5: 50% of dairy farmers implementing new
developments and / or technologies to reduce
emissions from agriculture.
Dairy farming is a progressive, technologically aware industry. In
a recent DairyCo survey, 80.2% of respondents were
implementing measures, tools or skills which were new to the
farm and which had the potential to improve technical
efficiency and reduce GHG emissions.
These varied from changes in management practices to the
adoption of new and better technologies. More fuel efficient
machinery reduces energy consumption, while use of the most
up to date technology can increase the accuracy of operations
such as manure or slurry application.
Better breeding programmes match genetics of the animal to
the farming system, and increase production efficiency by
allowing the potential of superior animals to be expressed.
Improvements in health status ensure good animal welfare while
reducing production losses due to disease. Increasing the feed
efficiency optimises animal performance, which will reduce
environmental impact.
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2015 Dairy farmer targets
Target 6: Declining trend in serious
pollution incidents on-farm.
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2015 Dairy farmer targets
Target 7: Dairy farmers encouraged to calculate
carbon footprints and implement carbon reduction
plans.
Sustainable food production and dealing with climate
change are global issues that need a global solution and
dairy farmers are part of that solution.
Our climate, geography and knowledge mean that British
dairy farmers are ideally suited to produce dairy products
in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way.
Carbon footprinting enables a holistic view of farm
efficiency to be taken. It provides a detailed review of
resource use, and calculates the impact of farm specific
parameters such as level of milk output and herd
replacement rate, on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
Farm carbon footprinting
• 38% of respondents to the DairyCo resources survey
(2012) had undergone a carbon footprint audit on their
farms, and 52% of these had used the carbon audit to
adjust their management
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2020 Dairy farmer targets
Select a target to explore in more detail.
1) 20 – 30% reduction in GHG (including carbon
dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) emissions
from dairy farms between 1990 and 2020.
2) 70% of non-natural waste is recycled or
recovered as standard practice.
3) 90% uptake of water use efficiency measures.
4) 40% of energy used on dairy farms is from
renewable sources.
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2020 Dairy farmer targets
Target 1: 20 – 30% reduction in GHG (including
carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide)
emissions from dairy farms between 1990 and
2020.
Two perspectives are available on the trends in GHG
emission from dairy farming. The first is the national
inventory data, used by Government to report on UK
international commitments to carbon reduction
under the Kyoto protocol.
National inventory:
• Calculated GHG emissions from the UK dairy
sector reduced by 26% between 1990 and 2010
• Over the same period, the contribution of dairy
farming to total UK agriculture emissions reduced
from 29% to 27%
The second source is carbon footprint information
collected on-farm by the dairy industry itself. At this
point carbon audits have been completed on over
2000 farms.
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2020 Dairy farmer targets
Target 2: 70% of non-natural waste is
recycled or recovered as standard
practice.
Typically, non-natural waste is made up of
plastics (i.e. silage wrap, containers, fertiliser
bags) and also items including
paper/cardboard, oil drums, building
waste, batteries and tyres.
Currently some of the biggest development
needs for farmers recycling waste are
around the availability of recycling facilities
and the high cost of collection schemes.
This is a stretching target which will involve
encouraging development of infrastructure
to allow for the disposal of such material as
well as better methods of measuring
progress.
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2020 Dairy farmer targets
Target 3: 90% uptake of water use
efficiency measures.
This target expands on the 70%
target for 2015.
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2020 Dairy farmer targets
Target 4: 40% of energy used on dairy
farms is from renewable sources.
This target builds upon the 10 - 15% target for
2015. Government has set a target to deliver
15% of the UK’s energy consumption from
renewable sources by 2020.
The 40% target for renewables is a challenging
one, but reflects the potential and the interest
among farmers in generating renewable
energy.
© BRITISH NUTRITION FOUNDATION 2014
David Harding – countryside custodian
Sussex dairy farmer, David Harding, shows
that dairy farmers can be custodians of the
countryside, as well as food producers. For
the majority of dairy farmers, producing milk
is a family business, their priorities are longterm security, being able to hand the farm
onto the next generation and caring for
their land and animals.
This is the main reason why over 65% of dairy
farmers have now entered into recognised
countryside stewardship agreements, which
ensure that farming operations compliment
nature.
To see David Harding in action,
follow this link:
http://www.dairyroadmap.com/
portfolio-items/davidharding/?portfolioID=4380
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Steve Edmunds – alternative energy
production
Steve Edmunds manages a 200 cow dairy
herd, which produce 7000 litres of milk, in
partnership with his brother in Bridgewater.
He has invested in ground-mounted solar
PV on the farm, which replaces 50% of
imported power for the 200-cow dairy unit,
three farm dwellings and a neighbouring
poultry unit. In addition, two 25kW biomass
boilers replace heating oil for the two
houses and save 60 tonnes of carbon a
year.
Steve describes himself as "the first of a
new breed of energy farmers" that due to
government incentives have a unique
chance for a guaranteed income for 25
years and run two livelihoods off the same
land.
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Through the Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs), the solar
arrays earn the farm £41,500 a year with
a return on investment of 16%. In
addition, two 25kW biomass boilers
replace heating oil for the two houses
and save 60t of carbon a year. While this
all complements the turnover of the dairy
farm, it not just about the money.
More than 2,500 people have visited the
site in the past two years - mostly farmers,
but also planners, bankers and insurers.
He has played a role in actively
influencing all those involved in the
sector.
Through those that he knows have
installed solar PV off the back of his
demonstration, he estimates nearly £1.6m
is now coming back into the rural
economy through the FiTs.
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To find out more, follow this link:
http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/04/
10/2012/135557/2012-greenenergy-farmer-of-the-year-steveedmunds.htm
Section 1 Questions:
Sustainability
Start
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Question 1
What number is the global population expected to
reach by 2050?
5 billion
7 billion
9 billion
11 billion
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Question 1
Correct. Well done.
Next question.
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Question 1
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 2
In a survey, how many people could link the term food
security with the availability of enough food to feed
the population?
4%
14%
24%
34%
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Question 2
Correct. Well done.
Next question.
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Question 2
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 3
Which of the following issues was most associated with
the environmental impact of food?
Food miles
Pollution from chemicals
and pesticides
Impact on wildlife
Water scarcity
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Question 3
Correct. Well done.
Next question.
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Question 3
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 4
According to The eatwell plate, how much of the
foods we eat should be made up of starchy
carbohydrate foods, fruit and vegetables.
1/3
1/2
2/3
3/4
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Question 4
Correct. Well done.
Next question.
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Question 4
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 5
How many tonnes of food is it estimated that the UK
wastes each year?
7.3 million
8.3 million
9.3 million
10.3 million
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Question 5
Correct. Well done.
Menu
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Question 5
Incorrect.
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Main menu
Section 2 Questions:
The Environment
Start
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Question 1
What was the main source of methane emissions in
the UK in 2011?
Landfill sites
Termites
Agriculture
Biomass burning
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Question 1
Correct. Well done.
Next question.
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Question 1
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 2
How much of the food we eat does agriculture
provide us with?
1/4
1/2
2/3
3/4
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Question 2
Correct. Well done.
Next question.
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Question 2
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 3
Between 2010 and 2011 what decrease was there in
the level of methane emissions from agriculture?
0.5%
2.2%
2.5%
5.5%
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Question 3
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Question 3
Incorrect.
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Section 3 Questions:
The dairy farming road map
Start
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Question 1
How many dairy farmers need to be actively nutrient
management planning to meet the 2015 dairy farmer
target?
60%
70%
80%
90%
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Question 1
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Next question.
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Question 1
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 2
By 2015, 10-15% of dairy farmers should be
investigating and/or implementing at least one form
or renewable energy technology. Out of those
currently implementing some form of renewable
energy, what have the majority implemented?
Solar photovoltaic (PV)
panels
Wind turbines
Anaerobic digestion plants
Micro hydro systems
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Question 2
Correct. Well done.
Next question.
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Question 2
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 3
By 2020, 70% of non natural waste should be recycled
or recovered as standard practice. Which of the
following is not an example of non natural waste?
Plastics
Oil drum
Tyres
Manure
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Question 3
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Next question.
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Question 3
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 4
By 2020, what percentage of energy used on dairy
farms should be from renewable sources?
20%
40%
60%
80%
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Question 4
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Next question.
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Question 4
Incorrect.
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Next question.
Question 5
How many tonnes of carbon do the two 25kW
biomass boilers replacing heating oil for the two
houses save Steve Edmunds farm?
40 tonnes
60 tonnes
80 tonnes
100 tonnes
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Question 5
Correct. Well done.
Main menu
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Question 5
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Main menu
For further information, go to:
www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
This resource has been developed by the British
Nutrition Foundation and has been supported by the
Agriculture Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)
milk sector organisation – DairyCo.
© BRITISH NUTRITION FOUNDATION 2014
British Nutrition Foundation
Imperial House
15-19 Kingsway
London WC2B 6UN
Telephone: 020 7557 7930
Email: postbox@nutrition.org.uk
Web: www.nutrition.org.uk www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
© BRITISH NUTRITION FOUNDATION 2014