Locavore Update How to Measure a Food’s Eco-Friendliness
Sales of locally grown foods are ex- pected to reach $7 billion this year, up from $4 billion in 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One driver is the well-publicized aver- age 1,500 miles it took for 28 fruits and vegetables to reach the Upper Midwest by truck in a 2001-2003 study by Iowa State University’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. “The average distance we calcu-
lated was often cited incorrectly as the average distance food traveled in the United States,” explains Rich Pirog, who led the research. “Local food re- ally isn’t about mileage or distance. It’s about the relationships that are built in the food chain. It’s about farmers and local communities getting a higher percentage of the food dollar.” Local food sourcing builds com-
munity, poses a smaller risk for food- borne contaminants and tastes better, especially when it’s organic. It doesn’t require the refrigeration needed for long-distance hauling and often comes without wasteful packaging. A Carnegie Mellon University
study further calculated that transporta- tion now accounts for 11 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associ- ated with fruits and vegetables and only 1 percent for red meat, while how the food is produced contributes 83 percent; so it’s good to be familiar with local providers. The researchers also reported that switching from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs or a vegetable-based diet one day a week yields at least the equivalent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of buying all locally sourced food. Primary source:
emagazine.com
ECO-DRIVER
Learn the ins and outs of eco-driving, pick up fuel- and money-saving tips and have fun testing personal knowl- edge and even virtual driving skills at
EcoDrivingUSA.com.
July 2011 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60