n intereting concept related to carbon footprints is that of "food miles" - the distance food travels from where it is grown to where it is ultimately purchased or consumed by the end user.

How much of the food you will eat today will be locally produced? And how much will travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles before it is delivered to your plate?

The more food miles that attach to a given food, the less sustainable and the less environmentally desirable that food is. The term food miles has become part of the vernacular among food system professionals when describing the farm to consumer pathways of food.

For example, for every calorie of carrot flown in from South Africa to Europe, 66 calories of fuel is spent - contributing sgnificantly to CO2 emissions [SUSTAIN, 2002].

Food production, distribution and consumption patterns have undergone a major transformation over the past 50 years. Retailers have continued to develop ever more extensive and sophisticated outlets and distribution systems and import an increasing volume of produce. Consumers have become used to convenient, comfortable shopping facilities, and a large range of quality produce.

But the vast distances that food travels 'from plough to plate' makes it vulnarable to oil supply, inefficient on a per calorie basis, and unsustainable in the long run. Combined with fair trade systems, many of these problems can be overcome by develoing regional and local food systems that highlight and use local produce.

Further reading:
• Measuring food by the mile
• Checking the food odometer: Comparing food miles for local versus conventional produce sales to Iowa institutions
• SUSTAIN: Food Miles Project
• Food Routes: Where does your food come from?