Acting South Australian Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Jane Lomax-Smith has announced this year’s finalists for the Premier’s Food Awards.Finalists from the city, Adelaide Hills, Limestone Coast, Eyre Peninsula and Riverland - have been recognised for outstanding achievement and excellence in categories ranging from new products, innovation, export, workforce and environmental sustainability. The 11th Awards will culminate with a green themed gala dinner and presentation... ...Read more »

Sainsbury’s has opened its flagship “green” store, built with consideration for the use of energy, water, waste, timber and land. The store is aiming to be one of the first supermarkets to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating for its commitment to sustainable construction, and has been specifically designed to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. The pioneering store will save 40% of its overall CO2 emissions. This will be achieved by using cutting edge technology... ...Read more »

Improving the environmental performance and, in particular, the energy efficiency of products and stimulating their market uptake are the core objectives of a package put forward by the European Commission. It sets out a series of voluntary and obligatory actions to support a coherent and dynamic policy in the EU and internationally, helping to define eco-friendly products, informing the consumer through improved labelling and supporting their purchase through public procurement and fiscal incentives. Commission... ...Read more »

A new campaign has been launched in the UK challenging businesses and the public sector to end so-called ‘greenwash’ by achieving the new “Carbon Trust Standard” certificate - the only way for organisations to prove they are tackling climate change and have made genuine reductions in their carbon emissions. The ‘UK Carbon Trust’ has come up with the initiative as the global environmental movement gathers pace. In Australia the ACCC has become concerned over ‘greenwashing’... ...Read more »

International and local dairy experts have warned that dairy farmers must be rewarded for developing and implementing sustainability initiatives if the industry is to overcome the challenges of climate change.The advice comes from dairy industry leaders who attended a forum hosted by the NSW Dairy Industry Conference and Milk Marketing NSW earlier this month in Sydney, where a commitment was made to the development of a ‘Climate Change Road Map’, modeled on UK and USA examples. Mr George... ...Read more »

New research from international food and grocery expert IGD has revealed that ethical food shopping is now mainstream in Europe as consumers base their purchase decisions on a growing number of factors. Tens of millions of shoppers across Europe regularly consider factors such as organic, Fairtrade or local sourcing when making food purchasing decisions. “Until recently, ethical food shoppers were seen as niche,” Chief Executive Joanne Denney-Finch told IGD’s Global Retailing conference.... ...Read more »

Growth in the Australian organics industry has been strong in recent years and Tasmanian Government is now looking toward the organic farming industry to improve food production sustainability. The Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water, David Llewellyn, opened the ‘Organic Conversion and Expansion ­- Steps to Sustainable Success’ conference in Launceston on Wednesday and pledged his support to organic farming. “Tasmania has a natural, clean, green image, and Tasmanian... ...Read more »