Caution urged on food miles issue

By Jeremy Lovell

LONDON (Reuters) - Ending imports of fresh food from Africa under the pretext of combating climate change risks destroying entire communities that have become dependent on the trade, Ghana's High Commissioner to Britain said on Wednesday.

So-called food miles -- the distance food travels from producer to consumer -- have become a highly divisive issue as environmentalists try to persuade people to reduce the amount of climate warming carbon gases their lifestyle emits.

"We do understand, of course, that our friends here are anxious to make a difference. However, the figures simply do not add up," said Annan Cato, noting that less than 0.1 percent of Britain's carbon emissions relate to airfreighted food.

"At what cost to global justice do we shut the door on the economic prospects of small farmers in Africa by refusing to buy their produce," he told a meeting of artists, musicians and scientists to discuss global warming's impact on Africa.

Environmentalists recommend that as much food as possible should be produced and consumed locally, ending airfreighted imports of fruit and vegetables from around the world.

But development specialists note that much of the produce comes from the poorer parts of Africa and that whole communities have become dependent on the lucrative lifeline.

"There are many other ways for the British shopper to reduce their carbon footprint without damaging the livelihoods of thousands of poor African farming families," said Cato.

Scientists say global average temperatures will rise by between 1.8 and 4.0 degrees Celsius this century due to carbon gas emissions from burning fossil fuels for power and transport.