Substitute or eliminate one air-freighted food item
There’s an intense debate concerning overall environmental impact of an air-freighted food item vs. that same item produced off-season in greenhouses or with extensive cold storage. But until a standardized way of measuring total impact exists, it will be challenging to compare holistically.
You can make greener choices from a transportation “food miles” standpoint by figuring out where your food is sourced and finding an alternative choice with lower transportation impact. If it is likely air-freighted in (e.g., blueberries from Chile), what other fruit options exist that are likely to have a lower impact because they were trucked from a much shorter distance (Florida oranges)?
By thinking more about the environmental impact of food choices and making selective changes — recognizing that isn’t always easy to do — you are making strides towards reducing the energy impact of your food decisions and raising your awareness of the environmental cost of food.
You’ll find that food items mention where they’re from. Check out labels on fresh and processed items. Many shoppers are surprised to discover that a good deal of food is produced thousands of miles away. Ask yourself whether you could substitute some of these items from time to time — the answer is most likely yes.
Eating local (defined as inside 100 miles) may not be easy to do year round, but avoiding items that have been flown around (whether domestic or internationally) is a reasonable to step to take.
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Image Credit:
http://www.pittsburghpa.gov/green/localfood.htm
