FOOD MILES
The debate rages...
‘Food miles’ measure the distance food travels from paddock to plate. The basic idea is the greater the distance food has travelled from where it is grown to where it is consumed; the more greenhouse emissions produced by transport and the greater the negative impact on the health of people and the land and of course global warming.It often means, the price the consumer pays for a food item transported over long distances does not accurately reflect its environmental cost, given that commonly cited figures suggest that a ‘typical basket of supermarket groceries has ‘food miles’ equivalent to two loops of the globe’ (Gaballa, S. & Abraham, A.B., 2008; C.E.R.E.S ).
The ‘Food miles’ concept advocates sourcing fresh food from local producers (ideally produce from only up to 100 miles or 160km) to reduce the ever increasing number of imported products on shop shelves (Kiwifruit from Italy, garlic from China, grapes from Brazil, oranges from California…!), to support your local economy and minimise the embodied energy used in processing and packaging. There are also other ethical consumerism and fair trade considerations in that Australians have little say in the farming practices of other countries, the levels and types of pesticides and fertilisers used or the wages and conditions of their workers.
On the face of it, the notion seems pretty simple but it is actually a fairly complex, multifaceted concept in application for everyone involved with food. For starters, ‘food miles’ were never designed as the sole indicator of a product’s overall environmental impact, but rather as one element in a much larger picture. Every stage of the food life cycle needs to be considered, starting with farming methods, through processing, storage, shopping and finally food preparation.
Then there’s the feasibility of ‘local only’ food access for communities in large continents such as Australia and the U.S., where highly variable seasons and climate change or inappropriate land for agriculture prohibit year round production of basic ingredients, as opposed to the more contained scenarios of the U.K. and Europe. Our vast continent furnishes an array of often far-flung micro-climates which naturally only suit growing specific food types. In our large continent of Australia, we are both heavily localised in living close to farming regions and remote from our major food production regions. That means, if most Australian’s were to only eat locally grown produce, they would starve unless they could adequately grown a lot of their own food in backyards and community gardens.
There are strong arguments on either side of the debate regarding the relevance of ‘food miles’ but it is hard to deny that well-informed and mindful food consumption choices can have a beneficial and far- reaching effect. We do need to protect our Australian food bowls by gaining a real and balanced understanding of the issues. We need to pay attention to and participate in the policy debate and vote with our consumer dollar.
We can all do our bit with some forethought and a few basic actions:
- Mindful shopping choices:
- Eating regional, in-season foods as much as possible. Is flying and trucking in out-of-season food from interstate and overseas so that we can have the same foods available every week, all year round mindful or necessary? Do we need it imported if we can already grow it here? How did communities survive prior to frequently far-travelled foods?
- Organised and efficient shopping habits, such as minimal commuting, walk or cycle and conscious menu planning.
- Ethical consumerism (prevent exploitation of humans, animals and the natural environment) and fair trade (sponsors trade equity, responsible development and ethical working conditions)
- Mindful supply chains/food distribution: Only transport food to remote areas, where ‘local only’ or regional produce is precluded.
- Optimally energy efficient supply chains: Minimal handling and packaging along the food chain, using the most energy efficient modes of transport possible.
- Where imports are necessary: (international or interstate)
- Ensure the brands, on farm and supply chain certification systems are second to none.
- Opt for shipped rather than air freighted items (e.g. dried fruits rather than fresh)
- Local Produce Standards:
- Help develop better farm management systems to best suit the extreme climatic factors faced in each country.
- Be certain it really is locally produced and/or organic food! Ask questions, read labels, make sure organic means certified organic. Buying something labelled ‘Product of Australia’, ‘Made In Australia’ or ‘Australian Grown’ can still mean purchasing a product which contains ingredients or is wrapped in materials which have travelled thousands of kilometres.
Maybe if our first thought was to mostly eat in-season foods which can be grown locally, preferably by environmentally sustainable means and with minimal packaging then we could afford to have the occasional exotic treat (e.g. chocolate!), without tipping the balance towards negative impacts? In any case, with the passing of ‘peak oil’ and the rapidly diminishing oil reserves, we may end up returning predominantly to the traditional, localised village life scenario, much like our forebears, because the ‘global economy’ can’t then play such a significant role in daily life.
Our Practices
Angelica Organic Farm is located around 100km from Melbourne and approximately 50-80km from the surrounding larger towns of Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemaine and Kyneton. The nature of running a small scale and organic farm utilises predominantly manual labour with minimal mechanisation and tractor use, as well as maximising carbon sequestration into the soils. We coordinate our regular produce deliveries and farmers’ market stalls to minimise ‘food miles’.Your gorgeous gourmet garlic is dispatched weekly via the energy efficient Australia Post network and is delivered to your door by the postie who is en route &/or delivering mail to you anyway. After all considerations, we feel this beats the additional handling and road trips involved with using wholesale markets and other middle-man distributor models. Garlic is a staple, with many health benefits and can’t be grown in arid and tropical locales, so we figure it’s worth posting around Australia. We are always considering better, more viable and environmentally responsible ways to go about our business.
Other good information resources:
Slow Food
Biological Farmers of Australia
100 Mile Diet
Canberra Environment and Sustainability Resource Centre
The David Suzuki Foundation
The Soil Association (U.K.)
Questions?
Visit our FAQ for a comprehensive source of common questions. You can also contact us at anytime. 
