The average American meal travels about 1500 miles to get from farm to plate. Often the distance is much more. For example, the sugar packets found on restaurant tables throughout the US have traveled about 10,000 miles. Although the sugar is grown in Hawaii it is refined in northern California and then shipped to New York where it is packed into individual packets. This unfortunately is not an uncommon practice. The many reasons for concern include:
- Large-scale transportation of food consumes large quantities of fossil fuels. It is estimated that we currently put almost 10 kcal of fossil fuel energy into our food system for every 1 kcal of energy we get as food.
- Transporting food over long distances also generates great quantities of carbon dioxide emissions. Some forms of transport are more polluting than others. Airfreight generates 50 times more CO2 than sea shipping. But sea shipping is slow, and in our increasing demand for fresh food, food is increasingly being shipped by faster – and more polluting — means.
- In order to transport food long distances, much of it is picked while still unripe and then gassed to “ripen” it after transport, or it is highly processed in factories using preservatives, irradiation, and other means to keep it stable for transport and sale. Scientists are experimenting with genetic modification to produce longer-lasting, less perishable produce.
How often do you enjoy these products?
Asparagus (Peru), bell peppers (Netherlands), tomatoes (Netherlands), blackberries (Chile), blueberries (Argentina), Cherries (Chile), Raspberries ( Chile), Peaches (Chile), Nectarines (Chile), papayas (Brazil)
Imagine the mileage accumulated at each meal. Too bad you are not the one getting frequent flier miles!
What can we do? Consider buying locally and cooking seasonally: The Vancouver Farmer’s Market officially opened for the 2010 season on March 20. The hours are Saturday 9-3 and Sunday.
I hope I see you there!