How much carbon with your lamb chop?

New Zealand lamb is shipped to supermarkets around the world. I saw this first hand at a supermarket in China recently.

The distance from New Zealand to export markets has in the past stirred up the food mile debate, so I was pleased to see the lamb industry’s new carbon footprint study which largely debunks the argument.

The report measured greenhouse gas emissions involved in the production, processing, transportation and consumption of exported lamb.

The study found transportation of lamb from New Zealand to the world is a minor percentage of emissions. And in fact, British shoppers create more emissions between picking up their lamb from the supermarket and serving it for Sunday lunch.

Now we have a real measure the next step is management and reduction.

View the lamb footprinting study