Here's a recent piece from the New York Times reporting on a study that punctures some of the overblown claims often bandied about these days about how eating locally grown food reduces greenhouse gas emissions. That may be true in some cases, but not always, according to researchers at the University of California in Davis. Too many other factors affect how energy efficient any particular consumer's food shopping practices are. The article concludes:
"Certainly, there are many reasons for eating local food — from supporting local farmers to a desire for fresher, potentially tastier food. The research in California, however, offers the prospect of a more nuanced debate on eating a low-carbon diet. In the meantime, [Gail] Feenstra, [a food system analyst at the university] said, the research has already led her to one conclusion: Don’t drive your sport utility vehicle to the farmers’ market, buy one food item and drive home again. Even if you are using reusable bags."
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