It’s Environmentally Friendly – Food Travels Less Distance
In recent years, the concept of “food miles” is one that has helped green-leaning consumers understand the environmental impact of our food choices. When we read that the average item on an American dinner plate has traveled 1,500 miles, we looked in our own pantry and found that most of our food was being shipped long distances; our food really was better traveled than we were!
The 2001 study that produced that figure was far from complete – it was limited to 10 fresh produce items in an Iowa supermarket. However, if you consider the exponential increase of “food miles’” that a processed food would represent (multiple ingredients with their own origins), the implications are certainly greater. Though a wider follow-up study has yet to be completed, if you are in any way concerned about your carbon footprint, this is an area that deserves action. While our food is going to rack up food miles regardless of the source (unless it’s homegrown), choosing local food is an easy and effective way to keep these distances in check.
Remember also that food miles are just a part of the story. Buying seasonally is a good principle for reducing your carbon footprint. Much of the unseasonal produce in America’s supermarkets is coming in from warmer climates abroad.
You might even find unseasonal items in farmers’ markets – tomatoes, squash and herbs are sometimes grown in hothouses or using hydroponic methods. Keep in mind that generating heat artificially or running hydroponic systems to raise crops increases greenhouse gas production.
We’ve radically cut down our food miles and learned to make better choices about the items we buy, and when we buy them. Have you started on your low-carbon diet?
