Food Sourcing

Where we source our food is important for our carbon footprint in a number of ways:

a) in the food miles involved
b) in the amount of greenhouse gas involved in its production

This is a complicated subject and there is ongoing debate as to whether, for instance, a large number of short car journeys involved in people traveling to a local farm shop involves more or less CO2 emissions than one large lorry delivering to a superstore.

Nevertheless we should be aware of food miles as potentially contributing to our carbon footprint in our decisions as to where to buy our food. Setley Ridge Vineyard calculates and displays the food miles involved in the sale of all its organic produce.

Clearly best of all is growing your own fruit and vegetables in your garden or an allotment. During the war we had “DIG for VICTORY”.

Today it should be “DIG for PLANET EARTH”

Buying fruit and vegetables in season must save on food miles especially if out of season food involves air freight. Air miles cause relatively much more global warming as the CO2 emitted is higher in the atmosphere.

c) Buy ORGANIC – not just because it’s healthier but also to reduce your carbon footprint.

The British Soil Association states that fertilizers are the largest source of CO2 in agriculture and the single largest source of Nitrous Oxide in the world in its use and manufacture. Nitrous Oxide is another greenhouse gas.

So, to help reduce your carbon footprint:
Grow your own fruit and vegetables
Preferably buy local organic produce or buy organic even if not local.
Buy ‘in season’ fruit and vegetables
Buy locally and cycle or walk to the shops.

Since sourcing food is almost a daily activity, the small savings in CO2 involved in following this advice will quickly amount to tonnes of CO2 over the year and in thousands of tonnes if the whole community thinks and acts along these lines.