How Many Miles to Your Plate?

Just how far does most food travel to reach your plate? Most likely, much further than you realize. Consider these facts on the long and winding journey non-local food travels from farm to fork:

• Ten percent of all fossil fuel energy consumption in the United States is due to food processing, transportation, storage and preparation. (Horrigan, Leo, et al. 2002)
• Processed food in the United States travels more than 1,300 miles on average to reach consumers. (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, 2008)
• On average, produce travels more than 1,500 miles from the industrial farm to the plate. (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, 2008)
• On average, an American meal usually consists of ingredients from five different countries. (Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 2007)
• Typically, food spends seven to 14 days on trucks and in transit to reach American consumers. (Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 2007)
• Smaller family-owned farms typically reinvest more into the local economy by purchasing goods and services available within their region, rather than through large bulk distributors outside the region. (Worldwatch Institute, 2002)

Open Harvest sources local foods as much as possible. Look for signs coming soon in our produce department counting miles from local farms to our co-op.