Russell's question about 'food miles'

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Jul 2007

Increasing concerns about 'food miles' - the long distances which food is transported from grower to the supermarket - will be raised in the House of Commons this morning (Thursday) by Colchester MP Bob Russell.

He has drawn the first question at today's Oral Questions to the newly-appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP.

Liberal Democrat Mr Russell will ask what assistance the Government is giving for the promotion of local food production.

Mr Russell, who has previously been Nominated as a Parliamentary Environment Champion of the Year, said: "It is clearly not sustainable, and environmentally is very damaging, to have food transported - often thousands of miles by air from overseas - when what we should be doing is to encourage the growing of food locally with minimal transportation."

He added: "We are also witnessing a trend whereby some supermarkets are describing food as 'local' when it has been transported long distances from the farm to the store via central processing and distribution depots. To describe such food products as 'local' is misleading customers."