Community Eco-Challenge, Southern Group Environmental Health Committee, Riverside House, Armagh, BT61 9EG. Tel:02837515800  Fax:02837515801  Email:info@communityecochallenge.com

Calculate your Ecological footprint! Click here      Calculate your Ecological footprint! Click here      Calculate your Ecological footprint! Click here      Calculate your Ecological footprint! Click here LOCAL FOOD Much of the food we ear has travelled hundreds of miles before it gets to our plate. More and more, the food we eat is transported across the globe. Even locally produced food can travel from the farm, to a processor, to a wholesaler, to the shop before it gets to you!  The distance food travels before it gets to you is referred to as ‘food miles’. The more miles it travels, the more pollution it causes. FOOD MILES A lot of the food we eat cannot be grown in this country. As a result, many things are flown in from food countries. The distance food travels is often referred to as ‘food miles’. Whether the food comes by plane, boat, train or lorry, the further the food is away, the more ‘food miles’ it accumulates. This in turn leads to more pollution, and an increasingly damaging effect on the environment. The more local the food we buy, the less it has travelled, so the better it is for the environment. As well as that, the less it travels, the fresher it will be on your plate! Sometimes this can be difficult to do, as our diets have changed significantly over the years, and people enjoy a vast range of different foods, many of which can’t be produced here. However, if we buy local when we can, we are still helping to reduce our footprint. Not only will what you eat have travelled less and be fresher, you will be helping to support local farmers and food producers.