A Bermudian company that is focused on selling locally grown foods is rousing other islanders to think about the environmental impact of purchasing fresh produce, shipped in from overseas. According to Honest Greens Bermuda, buying locally grown food supports local farmers and increases food security, while reducing environmental impact at the same time.
The company believes residents would be shocked if they tallied up how many miles fresh vegetables travelled before appearing on Bermuda shelves. Honest Greens Bermuda has published the illustrated story, Letty the Lettuce, to show the concept of food miles.
A spokesperson told royalgazette.com: “We want food lovers to understand that there are locally grown options which are fresher, healthier and more nutritionally dense than imported produce. Local farming also has the benefit of reduced food miles and the associated environmental benefits. Although we focus on leafy greens, we also believe in supporting other local farmers who grow a variety of other produce.”
The company said its food is sourced locally, so it claims: no matter where you live on island, locally grown produce will generally travel no more than 20 or so miles”.
In contrast, some popular organic vegetable brands sold in Bermuda are trucked from farms in California to processing and packaging plants. They are then transported up to 3,000 miles to either New Jersey or Florida to be put on a container ship to Bermuda and then travelling between 800 and 1,000 miles to the island.
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