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Featured report: Grazed and Confused? It is safe to say that the debate over grass-fed meat has left people either polarised or confused. Is grass-fed better or is it worse for the climate? What’s actually true?

New Foodsource building block: Agricultural methane and its role as a greenhouse gas

Methane has recently received a lot of attention within the food community because of its significance as a greenhouse gas, the large contribution made by the food system, and in particular its link with ruminant livestock (cattle, sheep and goats) and rice production. There is considerable confusion over how we should quantify the climate impacts of methane as opposed to carbon dioxide, because there are important differences in how the two greenhouse gases affect the climate. This building block provides an overview of methane, and addresses some common areas of confusion.

New Foodsource building block: What is ultra-processed food? And why do people disagree about its utility as a concept? The consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with various medical conditions and has been argued to undermine social and environmental sustainability. The term is gaining traction and is central to several dietary guidelines. Critics, however, say the concept is ill-defined, adds little detail to existing knowledge on food and dietary health, and is ultimately biased by an implicit prejudice against ‘Big Food’. This building block explores the concept of ultra-processed food. It investigates the arguments that opponents and proponents use, and the scientific evidence they bring forward, to support their viewpoints.

Investor briefing on sustainability risks and opportunities for food retailers, caterers and restaurant chains. Plating Up Progress (a Food Foundation and Food Climate Research Network project) has released a new investor briefing, Plating Up Progress Part 1, which looks at the sustainability risks and opportunities that exist for food retailers, caterers and restaurants.

In Fodder this week: FCRN member Peter Alexander was inspired by the British cycling team to apply the approach of multiple marginal gains to the food system, finding that a set of 29 incremental improvements across the supply chain could reduce agricultural land use by between 21% and 37%. The FAO reports that the number of undernourished people is rising, Eating Better makes policy recommendations for halving UK meat and dairy consumption, and the UK’s Food, Farming and Countryside Commission sets out 15 recommendations to policymakers, business and communities.

Featured FCRN publication: Breeding for productivity and breeding for welfare: what is the relationship? In this 2015 discussion paper, Tara Garnett, Elin Röös, Lotta Rydhmer and Anna Wallenbeck consider the productivity-welfare relationship. They argue that this is a critical issue to understand if we are to improve our knowledge of what more sustainable systems of livestock production and consumption look like.