April, 20 2009, 01:46pm EDT
Our 'Foodprint:' It's Not Just the Miles
WASHINGTON
Our environmental "foodprint" is determined not just by how far food
travels, but also by what we eat and how it was produced, according to
the latest issue of World Watch magazine. Final delivery from
producer and processor to the point of retail sale accounts for only 4
percent of the U.S. food system's greenhouse gas emissions. Overall
transportation, which includes so-called "upstream miles" and emissions
associated with the transport of fertilizer, pesticides, and animal
feed, accounts for about 11 percent of the food system's emissions,
according to Sarah DeWeerdt, author of "Is Local Food Better?"
In this first installment of a two-part series on the potential impacts
of greater food localization, DeWeerdt explains that if what you eat
matters as much as how far it travels, then red meat and dairy
production remain agriculture's overwhelming "hotspots." The United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that livestock
account for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions-more than all
forms of fossil fuel-based transport combined.
Citing a study by Christopher Weber and H. Scott Matthews of Carnegie
Mellon University, DeWeerdt explains that agricultural production
accounts for the bulk of the food system's greenhouse gas emissions.
"In the United States, 83 percent of emissions occur before food even
leaves the farm gate," writes DeWeerdt.
Look for part two of this series in the July/August issue of World Watch,which will examine the economic implications of greater food localization.
The Worldwatch Institute was a globally focused environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C., founded by Lester R. Brown. Worldwatch was named as one of the top ten sustainable development research organizations by Globescan Survey of Sustainability Experts. Brown left to found the Earth Policy Institute in 2000. The Institute was wound up in 2017, after publication of its last State of the World Report. Worldwatch.org was unreachable from mid-2019.
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A trio of U.S. senators on Friday introduced what's being billed as first-of-its-kind legislation sponsors say will "take on the greed of the food and beverage industry and address the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics" with a federal ban on junk food ads targeting children.
The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act—introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.)—would also require warning labels "on sugar-sweetened foods and beverages; foods and beverages containing non-sugar sweeteners; ultra-processed foods; and foods high in nutrients of concern, such as added sugar, saturated fat, or sodium."
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Booker said that "the future of our nation depends on a continued investment in the health and wellbeing of our children," adding that "more and more of our children are developing diabetes and obesity primarily because a handful of corporate food giants push addictive, ultra-processed foods to drive up their profits."
"By banning junk food advertising to children, implementing front-of-package warning labels, and funding research on the dangers of ultra-processed foods, we can rein in the predatory behavior of big food companies and ensure a healthier future for generations to come," he added.
As the senators noted:
Today, more than 35 million Americans are struggling with type 2 diabetes—90% of whom are overweight or obese. These crises go hand-in-hand and children are severely impacted. Today, 1 out of 5 five kids are living with obesity. A serious illness unto itself, diabetes is also a contributing factor to heart disease, stroke, amputations, blindness, and kidney failure. Unless the U.S. dramatically changes course, these numbers will continue to grow exponentially.
The impact on the economy is enormous: Last year, the total cost of diabetes exceeded $400 billion, approximately 10% of overall U.S. healthcare expenditures.
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