Green Planet Content Creation

Who likes strawberries? My daughter is a big fan and wants to eat strawberries year-round. I have mixed feelings about buying strawberries out of season though.

While I want my daughter to eat a range of fruit, I know that between October and April I probably won’t be able to buy UK strawberries. Instead, the strawberries will likely come from Southern Europe or North Africa. And with that comes extra food miles.

What are food miles?

Food miles are the distance food has travelled from where it was produced to reach us. And higher food miles are associated with increased production of carbon dioxide – one of the gases responsible for global warming.

Food miles may account for around 6% of global carbon emissions. However, the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released in food production takes into account more than just how far a food has travelled to your plate. The type of food, how much energy went into its production and how the food is transported all need to be taken into account to calculate a food’s carbon footprint.

Carbon footprint of foods

Bananas shipped from the sunny Caribbean, Central and South America have a relatively low carbon footprint – lower than that of UK produced strawberries.  UK produced beef and lamb has a high carbon footprint owing to methane produced by cattle and sheep.

When you compare the carbon footprint of Scottish and Spanish strawberries, there is little difference in the value. This may reflect heating of polytunnels to extend the growing season in Scotland and that transport over land produces fewer emissions than air transport. So the distance food travels is only part of the equation.

Another example that might surprise you is that Spanish tomatoes have a lower carbon footprint than UK tomatoes grown in hot houses, where the indoor temperature is maintained during their growing, ripening and harvesting. While UK tomatoes grown under standard conditions have a lower carbon footprint than either, if you’re buying UK-produced tomatoes outside of May to October, the likelihood is they were grown in hothouses.

As you can see from these food mile examples, there’s sometimes little difference in the carbon footprint of UK and imported produce. That said, buying UK fruit and vegetables helps to support local growers. If the carbon footprint of your food is important to you, you may want to reduce food miles by choosing local plant-based produce in season.

However, there are lots of factors that underpin our food choices. Concerns for the environment and local economy are just two of many determinants that may influence what food goes on your plate.