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Tuesday 16th February : Buy local , Reduce your food miles
“And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail” – Ezekiel 47:12 ESV
Have a dinner with ingredients from only your area and taste the deliciousness from what can be made near you!
What on earth are food miles?
They are the distance that your food travels from the grower to your plate, including travel to and from processor and retailer.
Why should I want to reduce them?
- Because transporting your food long distances involves trucks and planes. And trucks and planes use lots of fuel and emit tons of CO2 emissions, contributing to global warming.
- Buying locally prevents some countries from cutting down forests and losing their own food, because big companies see food as a commodity, rather as a way to feed the people of that country.
- Locally grown food tastes better. It is usually picked in the last day or two. Produce that has been trucked or flown in is much older. fresh produce loses nutrients quickly
- Local food supports local people and creates jobs.
- Buying local food creates community!
How to reduce food miles:
- When shopping in supermarkets, check the labels. Buy food that is grown or produced locally.
- Eat what’s in season. It won’t have travelled as far as out-of-season fruit and vegetables.
- Visit your local Farmers’ Market.
- Find your local farm shops, producers and pick-your-own farms
- Grow your own – start a veggie patch in your back garden. Support your local greengrocer, butcher and fishmonger, and ask them to stock more local produce.
- Walk or take the bus to your local shops. This way you won’t add to the food miles already accrued.
As you enjoy your ‘local’ meal, make a list of potentially the number of people that you have contributed something to their wellbeing through the products you bought.
(Johannesburg Anglican Environmental Institute) |
