| Five or ten years ago having strawberries in the | | | | air-freighting of certain foods. |
| middle of winter was seen as a real treat ad they | | | | Although most politicians are not in favour of such a |
| were so expensive. | | | | ban, some have suggested introducing a food miles |
| Nowadays however, the supermarkets are not only | | | | scheme. This would involve labeling food to indicate |
| able to offer a wide variety of fruits out of season, | | | | how many miles it has traveled before reaching the |
| they are also able to slash the prices on them. This | | | | UK. |
| means that eating raspberries in December is an | | | | The labels would be in effect an indication of the |
| affordable option for more and more people. | | | | environmental cost of eating or buying certain foods. |
| The reason they are able to do this is because it has | | | | The idea is that food labels would allow the public to |
| become cheaper and easier to fly fruit into the UK | | | | make an informed choice about what they buy |
| from around the world. | | | | rather than imposing choices on them. |
| Whilst many people are only too happy to indulge in | | | | So how has the freight industry responded to these |
| these off season delicacies, the air freight industry | | | | charges and ideas? |
| has come under attack recently by green | | | | Freight representatives have argued that: |
| campaigners. These people are concerned about the | | | | 1. The pollution generated by air transportation only |
| impact on the environment of importing out of | | | | accounts for a small amount of the UK's total carbon |
| season produce into the UK. | | | | emissions. |
| They argue that the air freight industry is producing | | | | 2. The freighting of out of season produce only |
| unnecessary levels of pollution as a result of the | | | | accounts for a tiny percentage of the total food |
| demand for off season fruit and vegetables. Some | | | | produce imported into the UK every year. |
| have even gone so far as to demand a ban on the | | | | |