With all the efforts around to maintain more environmentally conscious habits, I’ve had food transport on my mind a lot lately.
I read this post last week on Tonic News Network which talks about some recent research and the energy consumed through food production and transport.
It provides even more support for reducing consumption of processed foods, but that is not why it has me thinking.
Buying local is becoming more and more important to me as I gain knowledge about its benefits to both health and the environment. However, there are a lot of healthy, real foods I love which are not local. These foods I love must be transported to my local supermarket or even Farmer’s Market.
I enjoy eating in season, as it is often referred to, but what happens when a specific food is never in season near you.
Many of you know I live abroad right now so I have access to a lot of unique fruits and veggies. However, when I travel back, and in less than a year, move back the transport issue poses a huge problem.
Here are a few things I enjoy that won’t be growing in my neck of the woods in the US any time soon.
Oranges
Pineapple
Limes
Lemons
Peaches
Cranberries
Bananas
I mean, do I make the decision to never eat these foods again because of the amount of energy it takes to get them to me? Not only do I like these foods, but they offer many nutritional benefits.
I have to say, I would really be sad to see them go, especially the cranberries at holiday time. I love cranberries. But I also want to be environmentally friendly at the same time.
I am sure there are efforts out there to figure out a way to transport using less energy. I hope so anyway.
I am just wondering if anyone else is feeling like this. What is the solution to the dilemma of buying local, being green, yet still enjoying some pretty great foods that are great for you?
Photo by mconnors, morguefile.com
Hi, I agree with you about being unwilling to give up far-flung foods. It’s said that one of the things that caused people to demand a change from communism in Eastern Europe is that bananas weren’t always available! I enjoy looking at your other blog too.
Hi karen,
Thanks for your comment! I checked out your blog. What an exciting move for you! I am headed to Prague for the first time in a few weeks and I can’t wait!
Na Zdravi!
Such a dilemma! I’m reading Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” right now and think you would really like it – it’s about her family’s one-year experiment only eating what they grow on their farm or can buy locally. I guess to answer your question I selfishly would say that if you’re a person who’s already making a big effort to eat locally, organically, sustainably etc, cranberries at Thanksgiving aren’t the end of the world. You can allow yourself the occasional treat, especially when you compare your overall impact to someone else’s. That said, unfortunately we may get to a point where the choices really are “eat local” or “watch the world become a total wasteland” – then cranberries are obviously a no-go. Hopefully enough people will start DOING enough SOON enough that we can all still allow ourselves the little splurges without putting the future in jeopardy. But maybe I’m too idealistic.
I have heard of that book and I’m glad to know more about it. I wasn’t exactly sure of what it was about. I’m going to add it to my list.
I’m hoping over time we will find new and less damaging ways to transport foods. There is just too much good stuff out there to be missed.