What are 'food miles'?

‘Food miles’ is a term referring to the distance food travels between the locations at which it is produced and consumed. Foods imported or not locally grown have far greater food miles than locally produced foods.    An increase in food miles also increases the ecological footprint of the product, as it is necessary to transport it greater distances before being consumed, which produces more greenhouse emissions. As a result, the price a consumer pays for a food item often does not accurately reflect its environmental cost.

 

International Transport

 

The majority of food miles come from products imported from a country other than Australia.Sea freight accounts for 90% of transportation for imported goods. Yet, emissions from air freighted items are 177 times those of goods transported by sea ^[1]. Although only a relatively small percentage of goods travel by air, they make a far greater impact in terms of emissions, and air freight is the fastest growing means for transporting food products internationally.

 

Domestic Transport

 

Road freight is the primary mode of transport used domestically for food distribution ^[2]. Domestic food transportation easily has as much of an impact as food transport between countries, as distances covered within a country can be very large. This is especially the case for a country the size of Australia, where road freightcontributes significantly to harmful emissions.

 

Buying something that is labelled as ‘Product of Australia’ can still mean purchasing a product which has travelled a few thousand kilometres.

 

 The CERES report on food miles in Australia^[3] estimates that the total road transportation distance for a typical Melbourne food basket is 21,073 km – almost the same distance as Australia’s coastline. The total distance for all transportation of the food basket was 70,803 km – equivalent to travelling Australia’s coastline three times.

 

In addition, the processing of foods, and the use of packaging, contributes further to greenhouse gas emissions. Locally grown produce may be transported long distances to the place of packaging, returned to the place of origin, and still be sold as ‘locally grown.’

What are the Impacts?

The further your food travels to your plate, the greater its environmental impact.

  

In the face of anthropogenic climate change it is important for consumers to be aware of the impacts their food choices are having on the environment.

 

While housing and construction contribute 11% to an individual’s eco-footprint, food consumption makes up 41% ^[4]. Well-informed decisions about food consumption can have a beneficial and far reaching effect. It is also important to consider the food miles accumulated when driving to the market as these are an additional source of greenhouse gas emissions.

 

A reduction in food miles not only decreases a household’s contribution to environmental degradation, it also provides the consumer with fresher food, supports the local economy, and has greater potential to influence farmers to improve the ecological sustainability of their farming practices.

 

Additionally, as fuel prices continue to increase with the passing of ‘peak oil,’ foods which are transported further will become increasingly expensive, while locally produced foods will become the more affordable option.

 

Although food miles are only one part of a complete analysis needed to determine the sustainability of particular foods, they remain an important component.

What Can We Do?