Good to Know: The Economics of Eating
Grocery store prices don’t cover environmental costs that result from transporting food across the country, says a recent University of Essex (England) study (Food Policy, March 2005). If people bought only local food, billions of dollars would be saved and planetary pollution reduced, the researchers conclude.
July/August 2005
By Natural Home Staff
THE BOTTOM LINE: To really earn environmental karma points, purchase produce that’s both locally and organically grown. Here are the study’s estimates.
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$4 BILLION
Amount the United Kingdom would save annually in environmental and traffic costs if all food consumed was locally grown.
$2.1 BILLION Additional
amount the United Kingdom would save annually in environmental costs if all its food were grown organically.
12.4 MILES
Ideal radius that people should buy food from within.
$189 MILLION
Further environmental cost savings if people cycled, walked, or used public transportation to get to grocery stores and farmer’s markets instead of driving.