What’s On Your Plate

                                                                                         

When it comes to food, most of us don’t like to make any compromises on taste. Whether it’s crunchy New Zealand apples, tangy Spanish olives or Japanese Kobe beef, we love to have these whenever we want them, wherever they come from. What’s the fun in life otherwise?

But it’s time we think about the environmental impact that our indulgences are having. The recent inflation of food prices made popular the term ‘food miles’. The term refers to the number of miles food travels from the place of the food’s origin to our plates. It includes everything from the transport of the fruits and grains from the farm to the warehouse, to the processing units and then on to the supermarkets and then finally our own travel to the supermarkets. In case of imported fruits, vegetables and meat, the hefty air fuel charges are also included.

The obvious implication here is that the distance our food travels is proportionate to its cost and the environmental impact it has. Food that travels a lot will not only leave a hole in your wallet but also consume more fuel, cause more environmental pollution and leave behind carbon emissions resulting in serious problems like ozone layer depletion among others. Food travels between 1,500 to 2,500 miles every time it is delivered to the consumer. The travel of products from the farms to the consumers has increased 25% since 1980.

Our effort to conserve the environment is a race against time. We are destroying our natural resources much faster than we can replace them. Common wisdom suggests that the closer the food is to the place we stay, the better it is for our health. Our body recognizes and reacts better to sustainable food that is closer to our environment and is available to us whenever we want, unlike seasonal fruits and meat that flow in from various parts of the world.

It is not just important to consume food produced locally, but also organic food that is grown without the use of harmful pesticides. The pesticides meant to kill small insects and pests invariably come laden over the food and find their way into our body causing harmful side effects. They also spoil the soil in which they are sprayed causing soil and water pollution.

Among foods, topping the list of the most energy depleting is meat. Rearing, cleaning and processing meat to make a 150g hamburger requires 2,400 liters of water as compared to 13 liters of water required for 70g tomatoes. It’s easy to stay healthy and active, eating green. Follow these eco friendly tips to make sure that you are leaving behind a cleaner environment.

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