Food and Fuel—Keeping it in the Country
Saving fuel is on nearly everyone’s mind these days, and one area that sucks up a lot of petroleum and energy is food production and transportation.
According to Sustainable Table, a study done in 2000 estimated the food industry claims about ten percent of the energy used annually in the US. About 40 percent of that energy is expended making pesticides and artificial fertilizer. Another 23 percent goes to processing and packaging.
This doesn’t even touch on the energy used to transport food (and keep it cool en route). The Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan estimates that the average US food product travels about 1500 miles before it is consumed—that’s a lot of fuel and refrigeration.
Some point to meat as being a major energy sucking culprit, especially given that energy is used at every stage, from production to consumption—feed must be cultivated, harvested and shipped, animals are transported and slaughtered, meat is processed and packaged, product is shipped in refrigerated trucks and then ‘fridged again until cooked.
There are just so many aspects of food production that require energy. Some of it makes sense—bananas from South America are going to take some gas to get to you. But some of it seems a bit illogical—feed grown in one portion of the nation being shipped cross-country to sustain animals in another region, for instance.
But perhaps most surprising is how much food grown in the US is exported, while some of the same items are imported from foreign countries. A report from the USDA credits the strength of the US dollar (from 1996-2001) for fueling the rise in imported food. Put plainly, importing food, especially exotic food or “out of season” produce, has traditionally been a symbol of wealth and luxury.
In 2001, Americans feeling flush consumed an array of imports, including:
- 68 percent of the fish
- 21 percent of the fruits, juices and nuts (including 23 percent of the fresh fruit)
- 15.5 percent of the vegetable oils
- 11 percent of the wheat and rice
- 9 percent of the red meat
- 36 percent of the tomatoes
This is the part that confuses me. If wheat can grow in the Plains States, corn in the Midwest, veggies in California, citrus fruit in the South and West, and apples in the Northeast and Northwest, do we have to shop outside the nation to cover our basic needs?
Many tout the practice of “eating locally” as the clear solution. In fact, “locavore” groups have popped up throughout the US, with an increasing number of restaurants highlighting their use of locally produced products from farms that practice sustainable methods.
But a report by Iowa State University may counter this line of thinking. It claims that, “although food transported in local and regional food systems may travel fewer miles and use less fossil fuel to reach the consumer, one cannot assume that these systems are more energy efficient.” The study points to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an important factor in judging the overall energy usage, including production, processing, distribution, sales, purchasing, preparation, consumption, and waste disposal. In some cases, “transportation energy savings are overshadowed by higher energy needs in crop production,” especially in the case of produce grown in heated greenhouses.
So what is the solution? Can we realistically grow varietals in different regions of the nation, in the open ground or unheated greenhouses (of course), so the American diet has all the desired options? Keeping the food “in-country” will still require shipping, but it does seem to make sense to make use of what we have…and to decide how much we really “need” the rest.
The hitch: Well, I’ll be first to admit that bananas are an essential in our home. (Have toddler, need ‘nanners.) And there aren’t a lot of “in-country” banana growing options. But while I can’t plant a banana tree in my backyard to cover this need, I may be able to address some of the tomato issue. With others flaunting their ability to grow tomato plants on Brooklyn fire escapes, maybe I could try for a plant or two. Harvest fresh produce. Make my own sauce instead of heeding the call of Newman’s Own Sockarooni (though it is so good.)
While I ponder what will work for me, here are some energy-saving options for your food needs:
- Buy local (choose imports carefully or not at all)
- Grow your own (use sweat instead of fuel)
- Eat whole foods—and make sauces, etc, yourself when possible
- Avoid processed food (and loads of packaging)
- Limit meat purchases (some say go “veggie,” but carnivores can aim for small farms with pasture-based livestock, which feed on grass and fertilize, uh, naturally)
- Avoid hot house items (some don’t taste as good as in-season produce anyway)
- Plan shopping trips to minimize fuel used (or don’t drive at all)
- Encourage grocery store managers to work with farmers markets, some will even hold farmers markets in the store parking lot (a good way to get it all in one trip)
- Patron businesses that strive to use local products (or even grown their own)
