Food and Drink Impacts

Why measure food and drink impacts?

Quite often the food and drink which is available at a sport or cultural event is part of the visitor experience. However, food and drink purchased and consumed at events can have a significant environmental impact. The scale of impact will depend not only on the quantity of food and drink that visitors consume, but also the type of food and drink, the method of production (i.e. organic versus conventional), its origin (i.e. local versus non local), how much ends up as waste, and whether or not it is composted.

A number of event organisers have focused their efforts on reducing the number of so-called ‘food miles’ in an attempt to lower the environmental impact of food and drink provided at their events. The sourcing of locally produced food and drink is an important step towards reducing the environmental impact of what visitors eat and drink at events. Providing locally sourced food and drink can also have a positive impact on the local economy, supporting local incomes. However, the amount of energy and resources that are required to produce food and drink is often more significant that ‘food miles’. Another important step is reducing the amount of food and drink that ends up as waste!

The environmental impact of food and drink can be measured using a survey of visitors during an event. Alternatively, a survey of food and drink outlets (permanent and mobile) following the event is useful as owners should be able to recall sales information on the number of items sold.

Basic Measures

Basic measures include action plans for introducing sustainable food and options and reducing food related waste.

• A Sustainable Food and Drink Plan – which would identify the actions taken to introduce sustainable food and drink options at an event.

• A Resource Management Plan – which would identify actions taken to reduce the amount of food and drink related-waste (i.e. food, drink and packaging) produced at the event by caterers and visitors. It would also identify how food related waste would be subsequently managed in order to reduce any further environmental impacts, such as composting of food, or recycling and composting of food and drink packaging.

Intermediate Measures

Intermediate measures consider the quantity and type of food and drink consumed at an event.

• Quantity of food and drink consumed
• Quantity of food and drink consumed which is organic
• Quantity of food and drink sourced locally (i.e. produced within 100 miles or 160km of the event)
• Quantity of food and drink certified as Fairtrade or other eco-certification

Simple questions asking visitors to state if they will purchase food and drink, and the type and number of purchases can be used to assess the impact of food and drink consumed at the event. It may be worth asking if they will purchase local, organic or Fairtrade food and drink options, if they are available. A summary of the food and drink consumed by visitors at major events in the UK is shown below.

Food and drink consumed at major events in the UK (Source: Cardiff University) 

^a Total only refers to food and drink purchased from food and drink outlets. Excludes food and drink consumed by locals at home, or brought to the event.

Advanced Measures

A more thorough measure considers the actual environmental impact of food and drink consumed at an event:

• Total CO2 emissions for all food and drink consumed
• Total CO2 emissions for food and drink consumed per visitor

Measuring the environmental impact of what food and drink is consumed requires the use of carbon calculators/ carbon footprinting software. Carbon calculators can calculate the amount of CO2 and other Greenhouse Gases which are emitted as a result of producing the amount and type of food and drink being consumed.