Local Produce

March 6, 2005

Good evening,

This is a follow-on to an article I posted earlier. It came from another list I

follow and concerns the environmental benefits of buying local and organic

produce. How we buy our food can be the most powerful statement we make,

without even saying anything.

Nick Hein

YOU SAY TOMATO, I SAY HIDDEN COSTS OF TRANSPORT

Locally grown food greener than organic, British study says

Though organic farming is relatively easy on the environment, buying

locally grown food, even the pesticide-sprayed variety, is usually

more earth-friendly than buying organic, a new study contends.

Published in the journal Food Policy, the study found that the

transportation of food over long distances -- anywhere outside a

12-mile radius -- can cause more harm than the growing of food with

non-organic methods. Researchers calculated the hidden costs of

farming and food transport and found that the U.K. would save some $4

billion a year in environmental and traffic costs if all food

consumed was locally grown, and an additional $2.1 billion a year if

all food were grown organically. The study authors called on

supermarkets to label items with the number of " food miles " they

travel to get to the store. " The most political act we do on a daily

basis is to eat, as our actions affect farms, landscapes, and food

businesses, " said study coauthor Jules Pretty of the University of

Essex.

straight to the source: BBC News, 02 March 2005

straight to the source: The Independent, Steve Connor, 03 March 2005

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