Food miles
[6] Several studies compare emissions over the entire food cycle, including production, consumption, and transport.
The term was coined by Tim Lang (now Professor of Food Policy, City University, London) who says: "The point was to highlight the hidden ecological, social and economic consequences of food production to consumers in a simple way, one which had objective reality but also connotations.
For example, a DEFRA report in 2005 undertaken by researchers at AEA Technology Environment, entitled The Validity of Food Miles as an Indicator of Sustainable Development, included findings that "the direct environmental, social and economic costs of food transport are over £9 billion each year, and are dominated by congestion.
Many trips by personal cars to shopping centres would have a negative environmental impact compared to transporting a few truckloads to neighbourhood stores that can be easily reached by walking or cycling.
[17] A recent study led by Professor Miguel Gomez (Applied Economics and Management), at Cornell University and supported by the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future found that in many instances, the supermarket supply chain did much better in terms of food miles and fuel consumption for each pound compared to farmers markets.
It suggests that selling local foods through supermarkets may be more economically viable and sustainable than through farmers markets.
[4] Wal-Mart publicized a press releasing that stated food travelled 1,500 miles (2,400 km) before it reaches customers.
A recent Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) case study indicated that tomatoes grown in Spain and transported to the United Kingdom may have a lower carbon footprint in terms of energy than heated greenhouses in the United Kingdom.
[28] According to German researchers, the food miles concept misleads consumers because the size of transportation and production units is not taken into account.
[16] In the case of apples, NZ is more energy-efficient even though the energy embodied in capital items and other inputs data was not available for the UK."
Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones has said that the arguments "in favour of New Zealand apples shipped to the UK is probably true only or about two months a year, during July and August, when the carbon footprint for locally grown fruit doubles because it comes out of cool stores.
"[34] Studies by Dr. Christopher Weber et al. of the total carbon footprint of food production in the U.S. have shown transportation to be of minor importance, compared to the carbon emissions resulting from pesticide and fertilizer production, and the fuel required by farm and food processing equipment.
[39] They also concluded that "Shifting less than one day per week's worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG reduction than buying all locally sourced food."
This can mean that doorstep deliveries of food by companies can lead to lower carbon emissions or energy use than normal shopping practices.
For example, consumers can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the last mile by walking, bicycling, or taking public transport.
The technique accounts for energy input and output involved in the production, processing, packaging and transport of food.
[42] A number of organisations are developing ways of calculating the carbon cost or lifecycle impact of food and agriculture.
