Interesting new publication on food distribution in the uk, published on the Food Ethics Council website.

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From A to B: a snapshot of UK food distribution
People care increasingly about where food comes from, yet we usually only glimpse the logistical feats that bring it to us.

‘From A to B: A snapshot of the UK food distribution system’ lifts the lid on the food transport, which often involves complex journeys, and many staging posts, in several countries. Our report starts by looking at the overall shape of the UK food distribution system, then follows the journey of food from overseas and UK producers via processors and manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, foodservice companies, and, finally, shopping trips.

And a sister article : Food Distribution - An ethical Agenda

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Quotes :

It is striking how our car-based shopping trips make up nearly half of total vehicle-kilometres travelled, and how road transport in total (cars, vans, trucks) dominates the picture. The most recent statistics suggest that we drive over 19 billion kilometres for our food shopping, while food also travels around 9 billion kilometres by HGV, with 40% of these HGV kilometres taking place overseas. Air freight, by comparison, is responsible
for only 31 million kilometres.

It is worth remembering however, that the distance food travels does not map neatly onto its environmental or social consequences: air freight is considerably more carbon-intensive than trucking, which in turn is more carbon-intensive than shipping. ‘Food miles’ are a useful shorthand for a wide-ranging debate about problems relating to the food system, but they are not a direct proxy for carbon emissions. This is discussed further in our report on ‘Food distribution: an ethical agenda’.

Other Quotes :

Food is a big deal. In the UK we buy around 20 million tonnes of it each year – only to throw away roughly a third of it. We spend around £129 billion pounds a year on food and drink, and even more if we include alcohol. Food is also responsible for around 19% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.