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Food & The Environment 2

Food Preparation & Nutrition: AQA GCSE, topic 6.1.6

Reasons for Buying Locally

Food miles are the miles far food travels between producer and consumer. Some food travels long distances before it's sold - which is very bad for the environment.

Environmental impact of food miles

Environmental impact of food miles

  • Global warming - modes of transporting food (planes, trucks, ships) release carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuels.
Reasons for accumulating food miles

Reasons for accumulating food miles

  • Importing foods can be cheaper than producing.
  • Consumers demand seasonal food all year round.
  • Some foods aren't grown in certain countries (e.g. mangoes in the UK).
The advantages of buying locally

The advantages of buying locally

  • Usually fresher than imported foods.
  • Reduces food miles.
  • Supports local producers and businesses.
Disadvantages of buying locally

Disadvantages of buying locally

  • Unpreserved/packaged foods go off quicker.
  • Some foods are only available seasonally, so less choice.

Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint measures the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere because of an individual's, organisation's, or community's actions.

Measurement and units

Measurement and units

  • A measure of the levels of greenhouse gases produced by using electricity, transport and heating.
  • Units - tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
Carbon footprint of foods

Carbon footprint of foods

  • Food production processes that release greenhouse gases:
  • Growing.
  • Processing.
  • Packaging.
  • Transportation.
  • Selling.
  • Consumption.
Reducing the size of a carbon footprint

Reducing the size of a carbon footprint

  • Go to the supermarket via public transport or on foot/bike.
  • Purchase seasonal foods where possible.
  • Purchase local foods where possible.
  • Purchase food with little/no packaging.
  • Use less energy at home (e.g. have a colder shower, wear a jumper instead of turning the heating on, turn off lights or appliances on unnecessarily).

Test yourself on Food & The Environment 2

  • Why do we import foods?

  • Which of these is NOT a disadvantage of buying food locally?

  • What does importing food and accumulating food miles contribute to?

  • What units are usually used for carbon footprints?

  • Which of these is NOT a method for reducing your carbon footprint?

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