Seasonal food

There has been an upsurge in interest in seasonal food with two thirds of consumers aspiring to buy food in season. It is seen to benefit consumers, society, farmers and the environment by having a smaller ecological footprint, encouraging other sustainable behaviours, reconnecting us with where our food comes from, and benefiting our health and rural development.

However, eating seasonal local produce makes a much smaller difference to greenhouse gas emissions than other dietary changes, such as cutting out meat and dairy. Variables such as what medium fruit and vegetables were grown in, processing, packaging and distribution can cancel out benefits of being grown in season.

While it is good to support local producers, it is also important to consider the effects that eating more produce that is locally in season would have on farmers in poorer countries who depend on exports to the UK for a livelihood.

Priorities

• Seasonal eating should be seen as one part of moving towards a more sustainable food system
• Seasonal marketing can be a good method to bring demand into line with supply
• Retailers need to ensure that lower cost prices of seasonal food are passed onto the consumer
• Marketing should educate people about seasonal food and encourage celebration of growing seasons
• Those involved in promoting seasonal eating should avoid claiming environmental or health benefits which could be misleading and which could detract from more pertinent issues in the food system
• The effects of seasonal marketing on how consumers substitute foods and the amount they waste should be carefully monitored.