Foodprint programme designed to help restaurants and commercial kitchens track and reduce emissions from what they source and serve
A suite of tools designed to help food service companies track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the food supply chain have been launched by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), in an effort to push the sector to offer consumers greener menus.
The Foodprint programme, which was officially unveiled yesterday, aims to help operators reduce the environmental impact of the food they source and serve, while meeting rising demand for "a more conscious dining experience", the SRA announced.
As part of the programme, the SRA has partnered with the global Cool Food Pledge, an initiative run by green NGO the World Resources Institute which sees food service firms commit to targeting a 25 per cent reduction in their food-related emissions by 2030.
It means UK food operators will have access to the Cool Food Pledge's suite of tools designed to help simplify and track their climate impact. The SRA said it plans to work directly with operators at up to 50 sites, while larger food service firms will work directly with the Cool Food Pledge team.
Andrew Stephen, chief executive of the SRA - which represents more than 9,500 restaurants and commercial kitchens in the UK - said the aim was to help businesses see the impact of their menus and target significant reductions in emissions in "a practical, targeted, and manageable way".
"Partnering with the Cool Food Pledge gives our members the opportunity to be a part of a growing global movement towards less climate intensive food," he added. "We believe this will help members reach new customers and that becoming a signatory is a timely sign to diners that your food business shares their values."
Companies which sign up to the Foodprint programme will be expected to submit details of the most climate intensive items they buy every six months, which the SRA then plans to compile in order to draw up best-practice examples of a "climate-kind menu".
New evidence suggests the shift could help drive commercial competitiveness. The SRA said a number of food chains have enjoyed an upsurge in sales of plant-based options, citing Leon which has seen sales of its vegan and vegetarian meals grow by 21 per cent and 18 per cent respectively over the past year, while Wagamama has seen a 60 per cent increase in the proportion of its customers choosing a vegan option.
Stephen stressed, however, that while it was positive to see a number of food chains switch to greener, more vegetarian based menus "the pace and depth of change has been insufficient".
"Realising the environmental costs and potential benefits of the food we buy is key to building a great restaurant business fit for the future," he said.
The new programme follows an SRA report on the UK food service sector earlier this year, which urged companies to turbocharge their efforts to tackle climate change by "acting decisively now" to reduce meat consumption, single-use plastics, and food waste.
Tim Lang, professor of food policy at the City University of London and one of the authors of that report, said that fixing climate change would require food service firms to "drastically change the amount and quality of meat we eat".
"Chefs and menu-creators have the power and responsibility to shift our eating habits away from meat and dairy and towards more veg-based options," he said. "The SRA's Foodprint programme is a very welcome initiative to help shift the sector at scale towards more planet-friendly menus and positively influence the eating habits of the nation."