Don’t go the extra mile: is local food better for the environment?

For fresh fruit and vegetables, transport can add significantly to the emissions associated with food production. Photograph: Tom Werner/Getty Images

Food miles – the distance between farm, factory and plate – gained prominence in the early 2000s. The idea was that longer, more complex supply chains caused higher emissions than food sourced closer to home. The simple solution? Buy locally grown and shop nearby.

The intervening decades have underlined other environmental concerns with the modern food system, from the emissions associated with animal agriculture to the problems of food and packaging waste.