Food Miles

One of the arguments used by groups such as the Greens when they argue against free trade, is that of food miles – that the further food has to travel to market, the worse its impact on the environment.

Lincoln University has shown this theory to be absolutely wrong, and just an excuse for protectionism. They found that Britain uses much more energy as New Zealand to produce products, including the energy used to transport the goods.

* a tonne of milk solids – twice as much
* lamb – four times as much
* apples – 40% more
* onions – 30% more

Hat Tip: Jimmy Jangles