Food Miles

What are food miles?

Food miles are the distance food travels from when it was first grown or raised to when it is eventually bought.

For example:

Bananas travel about 900 miles from where they are first grown and harvested until when they are bought by the consumer.

Usually, imported food is finally bought by the supermarkets to sell to the end purchaser.

This is a lengthy process.

Whereas…

… locally grown strawberries only travel around 10 – 15 miles and are on the shelves of the shop within 24 hours of being picked.

Not only is it better for the environment, if we buy locally grown produce, it is also better for us health-wise as it is much fresher.

Another advantage is that it is also a lot cheaper, because there are less fuel costs for travelling.

What’s the Problem?

The problem is that every food that is transported uses vehicle fuel, meaning more pollution which is bad for the environment.

The more food miles; the less fresh the food is…

…the more expensive it is…

…and the more harmful it is for the environment as more carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other harmful gases are produced whilst the food is travelling.

…the more likely it is to get damaged…

How can we reduce them?

We can reduce food miles in many ways. Some are:

Grow your own food or buy locally. Eat according to the season. E.g. apples in autumn and strawberries in summer.

Walk to the shops because that doesn’t produce any pollution.