When you think about the food on your plate you might focus on taste, nutrition, or price, but you may not stop to consider how far it traveled to get there. This distance is known as food miles, and it plays a a surprisingly large impact in your diet and the environment than you might realize. The term food miles describes the distance food travels from where it is grown or produced to where it is consumed.
Items transported over vast distances often requires cold storage, plastic wrapping, and layered logistics such as lorries, cargo vessels, and airliners. Every phase of this process consumes non-renewable energy and emits carbon dioxide. For example, air-freighted produce like out-of-season berries or exotic fruits can have a an environmental cost vastly greater than locally grown alternatives. Even when food is shipped by sea, the vast miles traveled over weeks or months still add substantially to global warming.
Opting for nearer-sourced groceries doesn’t just help the planet—it can also improve your nutritional intake. Food harvested in your region is typically harvested closer to peak ripeness, and doesn’t need to be treated with preservatives to stay fresh across thousands of miles. This means it can be denser in nutrients and more aromatic. Following natural harvest cycles feels more natural when you focus on what’s available nearby, encouraging a richer, less processed way of eating throughout the year.
Supporting local farmers and markets also strengthens your community. When you buy from nearby producers, you’re keeping family farms alive and safeguarding agricultural land from conversion. You also get to know your local food providers, which can lead to greater transparency about farming practices.
Of course, not every food can or should be grown locally like coffee, chocolate, and spices that come from areas with unique growing conditions. We’re not advocating for total food isolation, but to be more aware of when and why you’re choosing them. Prioritizing local options when possible, especially for perishable items like vegetables, fruits, dairy, and фермерские продукты с доставкой meat, can make a meaningful difference.
Cutting down on transport distance isn’t about deprivation. It means approaching shopping with intention. Explore your town’s weekly farm stand, joining a community supported agriculture program, or harvesting kitchen herbs and greens. Every tiny change, like choosing domestic tomatoes instead of imported ones in summer, accumulate into lasting change.
Learning about your food’s journey uncovers to global systems of production and consumption. It turns grocery shopping into a more intentional act—one that supports not only your personal nutrition but also the future of Earth’s ecosystems. By choosing food that travels less, you’re doing more than improving your plate—you’re actively shaping an equitable and durable food network.