21.01.06 - Mayor Plans Healthier Food For Londoners - back
The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, yesterday promised a greener and more healthy capital by imposing prohibitively high charges on polluting lorries and improving access to more local and organic food.
Calling it the the most radical overhaul of Londoners' diet and health since the establishment of the welfare state, Mr Livingstone said he wanted his food strategy for London to become a blueprint for other cities around Britain and the world, just as the congestion charge had done.
Addressing the Soil Association's conference on food and farming he said: "The energy and emissions involved in producing food account for 22% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.
"I want London to set a standard for other cities around the world to follow in reducing its own contribution to climate change. How we deal with food will play an important role in this."
