Over half of shoppers say they do not consider the environment when buying food and over two fifths of people are unable to explain what sustainability means, highlighting the fact that it is clearly a confusing issue for some people.

One in five people (20%) say that they do not buy environmentally or ethically-friendly products because they believe that the small amount they consume has no effect on the wider environment. With a market value of £287m, the UK is the biggest consumer of skipjack tuna in Europe – consuming the equivalent of more than 778 million tins a year, so this is a major concern.

A charity survey this week accused Tesco of stocking Britain’s least sustainable tinned tuna in a study that found hundreds of thousands of sealife - including sharks, turtles and dolphins – are killed each year by its suppliers’ vessels. The spotlight has been firmly placed on sustainable fishing this week, as celebrity chefs including Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall launch a campaign against unethical procedures at sea.