Food Miles

Food miles is a term that has emerged in recent years to describe calculations of the distance that food travels in the value chain before reaching the point of consumption. The food miles measure is used to estimate the environmental impacts of food production, purchasing, and consumption choices, particularly with regard to carbon footprint in relation to global warming. Road transport is the major contributor to carbon emissions, followed by air and then rail and water. It has been estimated that in the United States, the average food item travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from point of production at the farm or similar origin to the point of consumption, and it travels approximately twice that distance in the United Kingdom. Data suggest that food ...