How Far Does Your Food Travel?

How far our food travels before reaching our plates is a reflection of our way of life and has a significant effect on our environment. It is estimated that the average meal in the U.S. has traveled 1,500 miles from the farm to the plate. This transportation means the consumption of fossil fuels, which leave a carbon footprint. And this is in addition to the fuels used in food processing, and the fuels involved in raising livestock and growing crops.

An article on the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture tells how the sugar packet you open to pour in your coffee while seated in a café in Hawaii has traveled about 10,000 miles, even though the sugar cane field is a mile away. That's because the sugar cane is processed in California and packaged in New York. Rather than being an exceptional case, this is more often the norm in the food processing industry.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are shipped around the world so that we can have them year-round, regardless of the local season. And fruits and vegetables from another part of the world often compete directly with those produced locally. Market economics don't always work in favor of the environment. Apples imported to the U.S. from New Zealand may be cheaper than apples grown in Washington or New York State.

Shipping food by plane, in order to cut down the transport time to preserve freshness, has an especially significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The Natural Resources Defense Council reports that in 2005, importing fruits, nuts, and vegetables into California by plane released about 70,000 tons of CO2, which is equivalent to more than 12,000 cars on the road.

The CO2 emissions involved in the production of beef are considerable. Jamais Cascio did a detailed study on the carbon footprint of a cheeseburger. The conclusion is that the entire process, from growing the grain to feed the cattle to cooking the cheeseburger generates between 3.6 and 6.1 kg of CO2 per burger. Based on average consumption per person estimates in the U.S. this amounts to a total of between 65 million and 195 million annual metric tons of CO2. To make the numbers more meaningful, Cascio converted this to the equivalent of between 6.5 and 19.6 million SUVs on the road.

Buying local

There are various benefits to buying food locally. We know that it is not travelling long distances, so less fuel is consumed resulting in fewer emissions. We are supporting local farmers and contributing to the economic well-being of your community. And our food is fresher and better tasting than food that has been subjected to special treatments in order to preserve and ship it.

As reported byLocal Harvest, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way of strengthening the idea of buying locally that is becoming popular. Local residents pledge to support a farm operation by buying "shares" in the farm. Their payments support the farm operation and in return they receive a weekly box or basket of the fruits and vegetables produced by the farm during the growing season.

The advantage of a CSA to the farmer is the availability of working capital, financial security and a ready market for the produce. The shareholders benefit from the freshest possible farm produce and the satisfaction of being connected to the farm. A variation of the model is a mix-and-match or market-style CSA, where the members can load their own boxes with a certain degree of choice. Farmers may also offer members the option to purchase other farm products, like eggs, milk, cheese, meat, homemade bread and preserves.

You can find Community Supported Agriculture farms and farmers markets in your area on the Local Harvest website. You can also use the Local Food Directories on the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. The Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture also has a Farmers Market Search.

Meats

Beef is the leader among meats in terms of the greenhouse gases generated, as evidenced in the cheeseburger study. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) estimates that 19 kilograms of CO2 are emitted for each kilogram of beef served. Pork is more environmentally friendly at 4.25 kg of CO2 per kilo served. At the other end of the spectrum are potatoes, which generate just 280 grams of CO2 per kilo served.

According to the AAAS, shifting all beef consumption to chicken could cut the carbon footprint related to meat consumption by 70 percent. And substituting all meat for soy could reduce it by 96 percent. The carbon emissions related to fish depend to a large extent on where the fish come from and what they are fed if they come from a fish farm. The AAAS estimates that frozen wild Alaskan salmon generate around 1 kg of CO2 per kilo served, and frozen, farm-raised Norwegian salmon around 1.8 kg of CO2 per kilo. We're not likely to stop eating beef, but it's clear that a diet richer in vegetables from local farmers, fish and chicken can do a lot to reduce the carbon footprint of our meals.

Sources:
Community Supported Agriculture - Local Harvest
Farmers Market Search - Agricultural Marketing Service - U.S. Department of Agriculture
Find Farmers' Markets - Local Harvest
"Food miles: How far your food travels has serious consequences for your health and the climate" - Natural Resources Defense Council
"Issues In a Nutshell" - Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture
Jamais Cascio, "The Cheeseburger Footprint" - Open the Future
Janet Raloff, "AAAS: Climate Friendly Dining ... Meats" - Science Digest
Local Food Directories - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service