Your ‘Local’ Tomato Might Be Worse for the Planet Than One Shipped From Kenya

Last updated: March 20, 2026

“Buy local, save the planet.” It’s the mantra of every farmers market tote bag and organic grocery store chalkboard sign. And it feels so obviously right that questioning it seems almost heretical. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: food miles are one of the worst ways to measure environmental impact — and the data proves it. That tomato you drove 6 miles to buy at the farmers market might actually have a bigger carbon footprint per tomato than one that was shipped 4,000 miles by container ship from Kenya.

Food miles measure the distance food travels from farm to plate. While intuitively appealing as an environmental metric, research consistently shows that transportation accounts for only a small fraction of food’s total carbon footprint — and that how food is produced matters far more than how far it travels.

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The Math Doesn’t Math: Why Food Miles Are Misleading

Here’s a number that will rewire your brain: according to research from the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), a UK consumer driving 6 miles round-trip to buy Kenyan green beans emits more carbon per bean than it took to fly those beans from Kenya to the UK. Read that again.

How is that possible? Because bulk transportation is absurdly efficient. A gallon of gasoline can move 5 kg of meat over 60,000 miles by road in a 40-ton truck. That same gallon can only move you about 30-40 miles in your car to pick up that meat. The per-item carbon cost of shipping food in bulk is microscopic compared to the “last mile” — your personal trip to the store.

In fact, among the 30 billion food miles associated with food consumed in the UK, 82% are generated within the country itself. And get this: car transport from shop to home accounts for 48% of all food miles. Nearly half of all food transportation emissions come from you and your car, not from international shipping.

This is the kind of counterintuitive finding that makes the food system so fascinating — and why we dig into the data behind common assumptions across all our articles, from the hidden water cost of your food to whether urban farming is actually sustainable.

Ships vs. Trucks vs. Planes: Not All Miles Are Equal

The food miles concept treats all transportation equally. A mile by cargo ship = a mile by truck = a mile by airplane. That’s like saying a sip of water = a sip of espresso = a sip of whiskey. They’re not the same thing at all.

According to research published in Nature Food and analyzed by Carbon Brief, the carbon intensity of different transport modes varies wildly:

• Cargo ships — the most efficient way to move food. A container ship carrying thousands of tons of produce has a per-item carbon cost that’s almost negligible
• Rail — second most efficient, roughly 3-4x the emissions of shipping per ton-mile
• Road (trucks) — the workhorse of domestic food transport, and the biggest contributor to transport emissions. 94% of domestic food transportation uses trucks
• Air freight — 47 times more greenhouse gases per ton-mile than cargo ships, but accounts for less than 1% of food miles globally

Here’s the kicker: while international transport drives 71% of total food miles, domestic transport emissions are actually 1.3 times higher overall. Why? Because 93% of international food transport uses ultra-efficient shipping, while 94% of domestic transportation uses carbon-heavy road trucks.

So when you “buy local” to avoid the carbon cost of international shipping, you might actually be choosing food that traveled fewer miles but generated more emissions per item — because it came by truck instead of by ship.

What Actually Matters: How Food Is Grown, Not How Far It Travels

According to Our World in Data, transportation accounts for only about 6% of food’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The other 94% comes from land use, farming practices, animal feed, processing, and packaging. For most foods, where they’re grown is almost irrelevant compared to how they’re grown.

Consider this: a locally-raised beef steak that traveled 50 miles to your plate has a vastly larger carbon footprint than lentils shipped 5,000 miles from India. The emissions from producing beef — land clearing, methane from cattle, feed production — dwarf any transportation savings. Switching from beef to beans just one day a week does more for the climate than eating exclusively local food for an entire year.

German researchers using Life Cycle Assessment methodology found that the food miles concept fundamentally misleads consumers because it ignores productivity differentials between regions. A tomato grown in a heated greenhouse in Northern Europe during winter requires enormous energy inputs — far more than the same tomato grown in natural sunlight in Spain and shipped north. The “local” tomato has a bigger carbon footprint despite traveling fewer miles.

This doesn’t mean local food is bad. It means we need better metrics. The real questions are:

• Was it grown in season? Seasonal local food IS usually better than out-of-season food from anywhere
• Was it grown outdoors? Heated greenhouses can be carbon disasters
• What type of food is it? Plant-based foods almost always beat animal products regardless of distance
• How did YOU get it? Walking to the store or combining your food shopping with other errands eliminates the last-mile problem

The future of low-carbon food isn’t just about local vs. global — it’s about smarter production. Technologies like vertical farming and precision agriculture are working to reduce the production footprint that accounts for the vast majority of food’s environmental impact. These innovations are part of the broader food technology revolution transforming how we grow, distribute, and consume food.

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The Wealth Problem: Rich Countries Generate Most Food Miles

The Nature Food study revealed something else uncomfortable: global food miles account for nearly one-fifth of total food-system emissions — approximately 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. That’s 3.5 to 7.5 times larger than previous estimates.

But the emissions aren’t distributed equally. High-income countries represent only 12.5% of the world’s population but are responsible for 52% of international food miles and 46% of associated transport emissions. Wealthy nations import food from all over the world to maintain year-round access to every type of produce — strawberries in December, asparagus in November, avocados in February.

Meanwhile, developing countries that produce much of that food often have lower total food-system emissions because their production methods — smaller farms, less mechanization, fewer chemical inputs — have lighter environmental footprints per unit of food.

This creates an uncomfortable trade-off. Kenyan green bean farmers depend on export markets for their livelihoods. Telling consumers to “buy local” in wealthy countries directly threatens the income of some of the world’s poorest farmers — while offering minimal environmental benefit since shipping is so efficient.

So what should you actually do?

• Eat more plants, less meat — this single change dwarfs any food miles consideration
• Buy seasonal — local food IN SEASON is genuinely better; local food out of season often isn’t
• Reduce food waste — food waste generates more emissions than most food transportation combined
• Drive less to the store — consolidate trips, walk, bike, or get delivery (one delivery van replacing 20 car trips is a net win)
• Grow some of your own — even a windowsill herb garden or raised bed eliminates food miles entirely for those items

The food system is more complex than bumper sticker slogans. “Buy local” feels good, but feeling good and doing good aren’t always the same thing. The data says: focus on what you eat and how much you waste before you worry about where it came from.

For a deeper look at the real environmental challenges in our food system, explore our guides on the topsoil crisis, regenerative agriculture, and the complete guide to urban farming.

FAQ

Are food miles completely irrelevant?

No — they matter for air-freighted food (which generates 47x more emissions than shipping). But air freight accounts for less than 1% of food transport globally. For the 99% of food that travels by ship, rail, or truck, the production method matters far more than the distance traveled.

Is buying local food still a good idea?

Yes, for many reasons: supporting local economies, freshness, seasonal eating, community connection, and reducing packaging. Just don’t assume it’s always better for the climate. Local seasonal food is great; local out-of-season food grown in heated greenhouses can have a larger carbon footprint than imported alternatives.

What has the biggest impact on food’s carbon footprint?

What you eat matters most. Switching from beef to chicken reduces emissions by ~50%. Switching from any meat to plant protein reduces them by 70-90%. After that, reducing food waste is the second biggest lever. Transportation is a distant third, accounting for roughly 6% of food emissions.

Does growing my own food help with food miles?

Absolutely — food from your garden has zero transport emissions. Even a small herb garden or raised bed eliminates food miles for those items entirely. Plus you avoid packaging, processing, and refrigeration emissions. It’s one of the simplest ways to reduce your food’s environmental impact.

Why do wealthy countries generate more food miles?

High-income countries (12.5% of world population) generate 52% of international food miles because they import diverse foods year-round from around the globe. This demand for constant variety — strawberries in winter, tropical fruits in cold climates — drives most international food trade.

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Written by the FoodLore team — exploring the future of food from soil to plate. Have a question or topic suggestion? Get in touch.