Table of contentsBackgroundIntroductionRoad transport factorProduction footprint factorMethodologyFood miles in perspectiveBackgroundFood miles are kilometers over which a food is transported during the journey from producer to consumer, as unit of measurement of fuel used to transport it. The concept of food miles, originating in the United Kingdom and widely publicized, has been used to imply that importing food from distant countries is inherently more expensive than growing and consuming local produce. What impact does this possible non-tariff barrier have on consumer purchasing behavior in British supermarkets? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayRevealed preference surveys at four supermarkets show that only 10% of 300 consumers cited country of origin as the one of the reasons why they choose fresh food. item they had just purchased. Additionally, only 5.4% said they consciously chose British products because these products were “less harmful to the environment”. In contrast, street-level stated preference surveys found that 18.5% of respondents indicated that "food miles" or "long travel distances" would prevent them from purchasing New Zealand products. What people say can differ significantly from what they actually do when it comes to “food miles.” IntroductionAccording to a 2007 Mintel survey, 40% of adults would like more information about how far food travels, and 19% said they would. use country of origin labeling to make purchasing decisions. Most Brits don't care where the fruit and vegetables they buy come from, are unmotivated to buy British produce and don't factor 'food miles' into their purchases, a new survey has found. In the survey of 997 people, 61 percent don't care about the country their products come from, with only 9 percent describing themselves as "very concerned" and 30 percent as "somewhat concerned" about the issue. . While 54 percent of those over 50 say they regularly or always buy products grown in this country, only 32 percent of those aged 25-34 do so. Similarly, only 36% of shoppers know what 'food miles' are: the distance goods travel to reach UK stores, which is a major issue for environmental campaigners. Just over half of those surveyed, 52 per cent, believe the UK should import less food to limit environmental damage, even though there is less variety in stores and food therefore cost more. But 23 percent think this country should maintain – or even increase – its food imports, in order to preserve variety and keep costs low. The conventional argument made by environmental champions is that the greater the transport distance, the more energy consumed, leading to the burning of more fossil fuels and, therefore, the emission of more of GHGs in the air, which causes global warming. The solution proposed by these environmental activists is to source food locally so that the distance traveled from the point of origin to the point of consumption can be minimized.Sourcing locally produced food would obviously reduce the transportation distance and therefore the amount of fuel burned, but does this really mean that growing food locally would reduce the planet's overall carbon footprint. Road Transport Factor The above analysis is further strengthened by the fact that the food is produced locally. Road transport produces more carbon emissions than any other form of food transport. In a global scenario, road transport produces 60% of the global carbon footprint of food transport. Air transport produces the highest carbon footprint per unit, but given the relatively small volume, this only represents 20% of global carbon emissions from food transport. Other modes such as rail and maritime transport each produce 10% of global carbon emissions from food transportProductionFootprint factorTo put an end to this ongoing debate over food miles, the “life cycle” analysis of food products has revealed that food transportation is responsible for only 11% of the greenhouse gas emissions linked to the average person's food supply. family. In contrast, food production itself generates 83% of total emissions, while wholesale and retail trade accounts for around 5%. The results of life cycle analyzes of different products will of course vary depending on a multitude of factors, including the environment in which the food is grown, the agricultural practices used to grow it, and the degree of processing to which it is processed. is submitted. The figures cited in the life cycle analysis clearly establish that it is more environmentally sustainable to import food products from places where they can be produced naturally rather than trying to grow them locally in the sole aim to reduce the transport distance. Food miles can be reduced by implementing more sustainable farming methods and smart supply chain methods, as opposed to the literal meaning of the term itself, which is a misnomer. According to the Indians: “A cup of yogurt travels 2,000 km before it reaches a customer. Such food miles are unnecessary,” said Vanaja Ramprasad, an organic farmer and biodiversity expert based in Bengaluru. “Transporting food and flowers across the gable only adds to the carbon footprint and, while global warming is a major concern for governments, global imports of perishables are a problem that requires more serious research and analysis,” she added. Methodology I conducted a survey in which I asked people through a questionnaire to find out their preferred choice of vegetables in supermarkets. I visited two malls - Inorbit Mall and Infinity 2 Mall, both in Malad, Mumbai. My main purpose of visiting these malls is the presence of giant hypermarkets like Big Bazaar and Star Bazaar. Through secondary research, I have collected and analyzed data from the past that dealt with consumer tastes and preferences for vegetables and other food products, in Mumbai.Hypothesis: Through this research, I can confidently say that Carbon emissions have increased significantly in recent decades due to food transportation. These carbon emissions lead to global warming which can be harmful to the environment. Thus, having an ecocentric mindset could allow us to drastically reduce, or even gradually stop, the.