Do you know how far your food has travelled to reach your dinner table? In many cases, Western society routinely purchases food that was grown more than 1000 miles away and transported to the local grocery store. While food prices in the store are relatively inexpensive, the environmental cost of transporting your food is often very high. Trucks, trains, and boats, all of which consume fossil fuels, are the primary methods for transporting large quantities of food around the world. Additionally, the transportation of these goods causes an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Many people are becoming aware of the impact that food mileage has on the environment and are choosing alternative food purchase options to reduce the distance that their food must travel to reach their plates.
When purchasing food in the store, consider the food miles that it has accumulated to reach the shelf. For example, many fruits and vegetables which are out of season are provided by foreign countries and have travelled a significant distance to reach the local shelves. By choosing locally grown produce, you can drastically cut the food miles that you consume. Additionally, buying produce that is in season increases the chances that it is ...