2000. More like...

According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, "produce in the U.S. travels, on average, 1300 - 2000 miles from farm to consumer. Since 1970, truck shipping has dramatically increased, replacing more energy efficient transportation by rail and water."

I did a random social experiment today.

I took all the food in possession, and discovered where they were coming from. I hesitated from going beyond the food labels (calling, e-mails, and traveling to the distribution locations), for I feel I am a consumer like anyone else. Furthermore, I wanted to see how clear our food labels are.


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So I'm not as socially-conscious as I thought - I'm a globalized-eating machine. Here's the list:

• Fallbrook, CA: Lettuce, carrots, baby broccoli, avocado, tomatoes, strawberries
• Monrovia, CA: portabello mushrooms, BBQ sauce, milk, yogurt, pepper-jack cheese
  
• Cresskill, NJ: butter
• San Clemente: bread
• Pasadena, CA: Shallots
• San Diego, CA: Jam
• Needham, MA: balsamic vinegar
• Long Beach, CA: granola
• Texas: eggs
• South Dakota: tea
• Fresno, CA: Tomatoes
• Maine: Oats
• Brazil: Brazil nuts
• Canada: Flaxseed, Bean Salad, Cocoa
• Japan: soy sauce
• Italy: Pasta
• Spain: Olive oil
  
• Unknown: cake, pizza, Thai pa-nang curry

And this doesn't even consider where some of these food items were grown, let alone distributed and packaged. Don't get me started on the "unknown"'s.

Just something to consider,