Food Miles

Food miles is a hot topic in the news these days. The issue has considerable significance for New Zealand. Our primary produce is exported all over the world, making it a very important part of our economy.

Food miles refers to the distance food travels from the point it is grown to the point it is sold to consumers. More and more food is transported around the world, sometimes to be processed and then transported back to its point of origin for consumption, along the way consuming valuable fuel resources and contributing to global warming. Related concerns include the sustainability of the production process, the energy used, the freshness of the product and support for local growing industries.

The concept of food miles is hotly debated. Is it a sensible way to help reduce global warming or just another weapon in the international trade war?

We recommend the following sources of further information:

Our online resources:

• Food issues and ethics – issues affecting the food we eat and the ethics of its production.
• Slow Food

Our Internet Gateway recommends:

• Food Miles – BBC Report - Report from the BBC on Food Miles. An interesting look at food miles from the British perspective, but with practical steps to reduce food miles that are just as relevant in New Zealand.
• Buy Local Food - Campaign by the New Zealand Green Party to encourage people to buy local food and to make Country of Origin labelling on food official.
• Food Miles – Comparative Energy/Emissions Performance of New Zealand’s Agriculture Industry - An extensive report from Lincoln University criticising the concept of food miles with research into the actual energy/resource usage of agricultural production and transport in Europe and New Zealand.
• Sustainable Food – Food Miles - Briefing paper from Landcare Research explains the origins of the food miles issue and its implications for New Zealand exporters in the context of international trade.
• Local Food - A Wikipedia article on the philosophy of local food and related sustainable food movements. Good links to explore developing international attitudes to food miles.