Growing international concern about the environment is a great
threat to New Zealand access into high value markets. In particular the issue of
climate change has grown in political importance as illustrated by the
application of the Kyoto Protocol and public debate about issues such as ’food
miles’. Whilst the paper concentrates upon the impact of the latter debates on
United Kingdom and European Union markets, there is growing evidence that
consumer concerns are not just an issue for those markets. Other markets are
also showing increasing concern. Food miles is a concept which has gained
traction with the popular press arguing that the further food travels, the more
energy is used, and carbon emissions are greater. But what is the reality
behind the political rhetoric? Using a food miles methodology, this paper
compares New Zealand production shipped to the UK with a UK source. The
study reported here found that, due to the different production systems, even
when shipping was accounted for, New Zealand dairy products used half the
energy of their UK counterparts, and in the case of lamb, a quarter of the
energy. In the case of apples, the New Zealand source was 10 percent more
energy efficient. In case of onions, whilst New Zealand used slightly more
energy in production, the energy cost of shipping was less than the cost of
storage in the UK, making New Zealand onions more energy efficient overall.
In light of these findings, it is argued that climate change should be addressed
through a trade policy focus on the more comprehensive task of reducing
carbon footprints over time, rather than a narrower focus on carbon miles