KENYA has launched a campaign to label fresh produce and flowers grown in Africa for UK consumers as "Grown Under the Sun" to counter attacks from environmentalists who say air freighting them causes ecological damage.

The Kenyan slogan is intended to ward off criticism in the food miles-carbon footprint debate by showing consumers that they can help people out of poverty and improve the environment, according to the UK's Fresh Produce Journal.



Kenya's labelling campaign aims to protect the livelihoods of 135,000 Kenyans in the horticultural industry, as well as one million employed indirectly. Fresh Kenyan produce is said to generate more than GBP100 million (US$198.67 million) annually, the trade journal stated.



Said UK Trade Minister Gareth Thomas: "Any withdrawal of organic certification from air freighted produce would threaten the livelihoods of poor farmers. Almost a million African farmers and their families rely on the fruit and vegetable trade with the UK."



Mr Gareth also said produce grown closer to the UK causes more ecological damage than air freighted African flowers and vegetables. "For example, the carbon footprint of Kenyan roses is less than a fifth of those grown in greenhouses in the Netherlands," he said.



But Soil Association Standards Board chairwoman Anna Bradley declared: "Airfreight is predicted to grow at such a rate as to dwarf greenhouse gas emissions from all other sectors of the economy in 20 years. Although airfreight represents less than one per cent of all imported food, environmentalists are justifiably concerned about its contribution to climate change."