The weakening of the pound against the euro and a strong overseas demand for beef has resulted in an increase in UK beef exports. According to HM Revenue and Customs figures, exports are currently almost double what they were two years ago.

In the period from January to November 2008, the UK exported 73,746 tonnes of beef. The main importers of British beef were the Republic of Ireland, which imported over 28,000 tonnes and the Netherlands, which imported 23,578 tonnes. Most of the beef we exported was from dairy cows, who are slaughtered when they no longer produce adequate quantities of milk.

This is where it really makes no sense. During the same period in 2008, we imported a total of 224,988 tonnes fo beef; including 140,000 tonnes from Ireland and 6,213 tonnes from Brazil. Why are we exporting nearly 74,000 tonnes of beef but then importing around 225,000?

The same applies to other types of meat. Last year we exported 76,000 tonnes of sheep meat whilst importing 105,646 tonnes (80,000 of which from New Zealand). In the first 11 months of last year we exported 253,679 tonnes and imported 300,185. Last year we exported 103,462 tonnes of pork and imported 358,000.

Let us not forget that around 20% of animal feed in the UK is imported from outside the EU - this includes millions of tonnes of soy from North and South America, maize from the USA, cotton seed meal from China and India and palm kernels from Malaysia. This is ‘food miles’ gone completely mad! (More info on animal feeds).

These figures not only reveal the nonsensical practice of sending meat backwards and forwards between nations (using vast amounts of fuel for transportation and energy for refrigeration) but also show that the UK consumes way more meat than it produces. This is simply not sustainable and has to change.

Figures from Scotman article.