terra non firma: the most political act we do every day

Friday, March 04, 2005

the most political act we do every day

going slightly (but only slightly) off topic, researchers in the UK have found that eating locally grown food is better for the environment than eating food that has been shipped, regardless of whether the food is organic or not. to calculate the hidden costs of shipping food, they examined each phase of the supply chain, such as clean-up costs for pollution, less of profit from erosion, damage to the climate or infrastructure and the cost to ship (particularly on the road versus air).

the researchers found that if all foods were sourced within 20km (about 12 miles) of where they are eaten, environmental and transportation savings would be about $4 billion a year and another $2.1 billion if the food were grown organically.

the authors of the study also have some policy recommendations (albeit for the UK only at this point): mandatory labeling by supermarkets of the number "food miles" traveled to get to the store.

one of the smartest quotes in the story I have heard in a very long time:

"The most political act we do on a daily basis is to eat, as our actions affect farms, landscapes and food businesses," said co-author Professor Jules Pretty, from the University of Essex, UK.

and here is a list of Farmer's Markets in the LA area.