The term sustainable development encompasses the concept of using our resources wisely so that we can enjoy them, but they will also be available for future generations.
Another term that has been showing up in the worldwide lexicon is “food miles”. Before the industrial revolution, food was grown and consumed locally. What food wasn’t grown at home was obtained at local farmers markets, or using the barter system.
As the world is becoming globalized, the ease in which food can be transported is having a major impact on the environment. The transportation of that food can use a tremendous amount of fossil fuel. “Food miles” is the total distance that food goods are transported from the field or source of manufacture to the consumer. This term has become an indicator of sustainability, and has sparked a movement towards using foods produced and consumed locally.
Recent studies are showing that the globalization within the food industry has resulted in more and more products being imported from foreign companies. This has greatly increased the “food miles“ a product travels, and substantially increases the amount of pollution that is generated.
In an effort to supply consumers with fresh food, the use of the airplane to transport that food has greatly increased. Since air transportation produces far greater greenhouse gasses than ships, this also has a negative effect on our environment.
Long distance transportation also requires more packaging since consumers will not buy bruised foods. Packaging made from cardboard, paper and plastics use more of our natural resources such as trees and fossil fuels. The increased packaging also requires that more trees be cut down, destroying wildlife habitat. Then the packaging ends up in our landfills when it is discarded. This creates a vicious course that harms the environment.
Consumers need to be aware of where their food originates. Packing will often tell what country produced the product you are planning to purchase. Buying fruits and vegetables that are “in season” often means that that they are locally produced and travel less miles to get to market. Choosing apples from New York State is preferred over buying them from New Zealand.
Buying locally is part of the key. It not only helps the economy by supporting our local growers, it is better for the environment. The trend is to buy “organic” but if that food comes from South America, the benefit to the environment is minimized.
The other benefit of purchasing locally is that the produce is fresher, so you are getting healthier food that contains fewer preservatives. Often the cost is less because we are not paying for the cost of transportation, packaging, advertising and all the chemical additives.
If as a consumer you wish to lower your carbon footprint, your best option is to purchase most products that have been produced within a thirty mile radius, choose products that are not damaging to the environment and purchase products from the areas where they grow best.
During World Wars I and II, citizens were asked to plant victory gardens. These gardens produced over one third of all the vegetables consumed in the country. Maybe it’s time to go back to the “good old days” and consider planting gardens to grow our own vegetables to help the environment.
In time, as technology improves, buying from overseas will not hurt the environment. Many countries rely heavily on the exportation of food goods to other countries, so a shift to purchasing locally grown food could be devastating to these countries.
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