Organic & Local Key to Food Sustainability

Organic & Local Key to Food Sustainability: "Local food is usually more "green" than organic food, according to a report published in Food Policy journal.

The authors say people can help protect the environment by buying food produced within a 20km radius.[...]

"'The price of food is disguising externalised costs - damage to the environment, damage to climate, damage to infrastructure and the cost of transporting food on roads,' Professor Lang told the BBC News website.

The authors calculated that if all foods were sourced from within 20km of where it is was consumed, environmental and congestion costs would fall from more than £2.3bn to under £230m - an 'environmental saving' of £2.1bn annually.

They pointed out that organic methods can also make an important contribution. If all farms in the UK were to turn organic, then the country would save £1.1bn of environmental costs each year. [...]"