Food flows

It was estimated that the South West produced 6.9 million tonnes of food in 2001. An additional 2.4 million tonnes were imported from abroad, while exports were a little over 1 million tonnes. Table 7 provides a summary of food flows in the South West, in 2001.

It was estimated that the South West was supplied (gross) 8.4 million tonnes (1.7 tonnes per person) of food in 2001 (this includes imports and agricultural materials harvested from the region). However, not all of this was consumed by residents. Around 2.5 million tonnes were 're-invested' back into agriculture in the form of feed and seed, while another 786,000 tonnes were lost through processing. Figure 3 summarises food supply in the region.

Figure 3
A breakdown of food supplied to the South West, in 2001

* Waste = food losses at all stages between production and the household, i.e. during storage and transport. This does not include losses before or during harvest, or household food waste.
** Other uses include food consumed by tourists, food in storage and non-food uses such as oil for soap.

Sources: DEFRA, 2003 & 2003a; FAO, 2002 and ONS, 2001a & 2003

Although 4.6 million tonnes of food were available for consumption in the South West in 2001, 3.5 million tonnes were actually consumed. This equates to about 698kg of food consumed per person each year. Including materials used and lost during agriculture and processing, cooking, storage and plate waste, the average person would indirectly consume 930kg of food per year. This is 61kg more than the average resident in Scotland.

Table 8 summarises food consumed in the South West in 2001, by food type and whether it was eaten in (household consumption) or eaten out (for example, at restaurants). Bread and cereal, and milk and cream constituted almost 30% of a South West resident's diet.

Food production and processing

More than 8,000 tonnes of apples were harvested in the South West in 2001. An estimated 740 tonnes of solid waste arose from the growing and harvest of these apples (90kg/tonne). In comparison, the production of 400,000 tonnes of potatoes gave rise to an estimated 16,000 tonnes of solid waste (40 kg/t).

In total, the South West food processing industry generated 609,000 tonnes of waste. Just over 30% of this was reused, with recycling and waste sent to landfill being the next most common forms of waste management. The beverage industry generated the largest quantity of waste in the sector, 140,000 tonnes. Table 9 provides a more detailed breakdown of the waste management methods used.

Table 9
Waste generated by the food processing industry in the South West, by sector and waste management method, in 2001 ('000 tonnes)

Processing type	Waste management method
	Landfill	Reuse	Recycled	Other**	Total
Total waste*	147	187	147	128	609
Animal feeds	12	0	2	11	25
Beverages	27	93	10	10	140
Dairy products	23	10	46	21	99
Fruit & vegetables	15	12	39	7	74
Grain mill products	1	2	1	3	8
Meat & meat products	29	21	15	61	125
Oils & fats	<1	<1	<1	<1	<1
Other foods	41	49	34	15	139
* Total waste includes food waste such as animal and meat products, fruit and vegetables, as well as plastics, rubber, paper, card, wood, metal, glass and soil. ** Other includes land recovery, thermal, treatment and transfer.
Sources: C-Tech, 2004 & University of Plymouth. 2003

To decrease the amount of food processing waste going to landfill, or to reduce the amount generated, it is useful to develop a better understanding of the types of waste found in this waste stream. Figure 4 provides a breakdown of the waste by type. Biodegradable waste (animal and non-animal) was the largest amount generated (54% of the total food processing waste stream). Paper, card and glass make up a small fraction of the stream, whereas other (unidentified) wastes form the second largest component at 24%.

Figure 4
Waste generated by the food processing industry in the South West, by waste type, in 2001

* Other includes soil and unidentified products.

Sources: C-Tech, 2004; DEFRA, 2003a; FAO, 2002 and University of Plymouth, 2003