Most of the food we buy in the UK has been transported from far away — sometimes flown in from the other side of the world. The carbon emissions that often result from these ‘food miles’ are one way in which we are adding to climate change. In addition, much of our food is now produced using intensive farming methods, which have high carbon emissions and other environmental impacts, such as pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticides, associated with them. In contrast, food produced organically helps lock carbon into the soil and doesn’t use chemicals.
Food that has been transported from far away will also get more expensive as oil supplies dwindle, adding to the cost of everyone’s weekly shop. And buying food from abroad doesn’t support the local economy to the same extent as buying food that has been produced closer to home.
To change this we need to start getting as much of our food as possible from as nearby as possible, and increase the proportion that is produced organically.