Traveling Food

As I drove down the highway today immersed between two giant trucks with food labels on the side I started to wonder how far the food I eat has to travel.

As a case study I found these statistics below.  This is a comparison between two Markets in the Bay Area.  One is the Terminal Market (AKA Big Grocery Store Chain) and the other is a local farmers market.  This would be similar in any other major metropolitan area.

Average Distances from Farm to Market

Terminal Market vs. Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Apples: 1,555 miles vs. 105 miles

Tomatoes: 1,369 miles vs. 117 miles

Grapes: 2,143 miles vs. 151 miles

Beans: 766 miles vs. 101 miles

Peaches: 1,674 miles vs. 184 miles

Winter Squash: 781 miles vs. 98 miles

Greens: 889 miles vs. 99 miles

Lettuce: 2,055 miles vs. 102 miles

What's most striking about the stats above is the fuel costs associated with them.  If fuel prices went up to $10/gallon...what would happen to the price of food?  Economics would tell us that the local farmers market would have a distinct pricing edge on Big Agriculture in this situation.  I'm expecting more of the food we eat will be less road weary in the future!

TK