Why was this diet created?
- Transporting food for long distances means that the amount of CO2 released increases. Although there are modes of transport that are more polluting than others, all modes of transport emit harmful toxins into the environment. Airfreight generates about 50 times more CO2 than sea shipping, but as the demand for fresh food increases the use of ships decreases.
- Long distance travel of food consumes lot of fossil fuels. It is estimated that as consumers we currently put 10 kcal of fossil fuel energy into our food system for every 1 kcal energy we get as food(CUESA). |
It is estimated that the average American meal travels about 1500 miles to get from farm to plate(CUESA). This statistic may seem fine to you, but in fact the longer the distance food has to travel the more consequencess we see.
Reasons why buying local food is the better option: - When it comes to transporting foods, the transporters have to often send unripe food products and then they gas them upon arrival. This means that there are alot of chemicals within the products which pose a great threat to whomever eats it.
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Statistics involving transport of foods
- Between the years 1968 to 1998, world food production increased by 84% but food trade increased 184%
- Today an average American's meal contains food from 5 differenet countries outside of the US, which ultimately means alot of travel. - In 2005, the import of fruits and vegetables equated to about 70,000 tons of CO2 which equivalates to about 12,000 cars on the road. - Approxiamately 950 cases of asthma, 16870 missed school days, 43 hospital admissions and 37 premature deaths could be attributed to the worsening air quility due to food imports. |
Is this Diet Sustainable?
Absolutely. This diet was designed for the sole purpose of being an alternative solution to help save our world from the state it currently is in. Through the creation of this new movement, these two Canadian individuals not only created a global phenomenon but they also created a bold statement for all to see.
The 100 Mile diet is an amazing movement that can change the state our world is in. With buying local foods, we are saying no to the long distance travel most of our foods have to take in order to reach our dinner table. Less travel ultimately means less pollutants into the air which in the end means a more cleaner world for all.
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Buying locally also helps our environment in the sense that our carbon footprint would greatly decrease because we are no longer eating food that has traveled 1500 miles by truck but instead food that has been grown locally.
This diet is a great way to become sustainable because you are encouraging sustainable agricultural practices by following and knowing where exactly your food products have come from.
By adopting this diet, we are ultimately ensuring that the future generations have enough resources to survive. Currently, statistics say that there will not be enough for them and that is why this 100 mile is best to do because the longer we save our resources, the more the future generations will have as well as a clean environment to live in. |