Question 1

What are food miles?

Accepted Answer

Food miles measure the distance food travels from where it is produced to where it is consumed. While often used as a proxy for environmental impact, the carbon footprint of food transport depends on both distance AND transport mode — sea freight over 5,000 miles can emit less CO₂ than air freight over 500 miles.

Question 2

Does buying local food really reduce carbon emissions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but the impact depends heavily on food type and transport mode. For beef, production accounts for over 95% of the footprint — so buying local beef saves very little compared to switching to a lower-emission food. For produce transported by air, switching to local can halve the total footprint. The biggest win is usually choosing lower-emission foods, not just buying local.

Question 3

Which foods have the highest carbon footprint?

Accepted Answer

Beef has by far the highest production footprint at 27 kg CO₂e per kg, followed by cheese (13.5 kg), pork (7.6 kg), chicken (6.9 kg), and salmon (6.1 kg). Plant-based foods are dramatically lower: bananas (0.7 kg), tomatoes (1.4 kg), and rice (2.7 kg). Production emissions typically dwarf transport emissions for most foods.

Question 4

How can I reduce my food carbon footprint?

Accepted Answer

The most effective steps are: (1) Reduce beef consumption — it produces 4× more CO₂e than cheese and nearly 40× more than bananas per kg. (2) Avoid air-freighted imports — air freight emits ~60× more transport CO₂ per tonne-km than sea freight. (3) Choose seasonal local produce when available. (4) Minimize food waste — wasted food means all those production and transport emissions were for nothing.

Food Miles Carbon Calculator