Food Supply Chains and Food-Miles : An Analysis for Selected Conventional, Non-local Organic and Other-alternative Foods Sold in Missoula, Montana

ISBN-13: 9783639180749 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 84 str.

Kimberly Spielman

Opis

The spatial patterns of the conventional food supply chain have played a significant role in increasing the amount of miles food travels and the subsequent energy use required to transport food from the farm to the table. For many places a second food supply chain has emerged as an alternative to the conventional chain; however both chains are reliant on fossil fuels. Certified organic foods began as an alternative to conventional foods; however, have been criticized for adopting similar business practices as the conventional system and thus travel the same lengths, if not further, than conventional foods. This study compares the food-miles and subsequent energy use of the two food supply chains that provide apples, bread, ground beef and milk to retail grocery stores in Missoula, Montana. The products are further classified for comparison into three different categories: conventional, non-local organic and other-alternative. Using food-miles as a tool, this study opens a dialog about energy use in both food supply chains and moves beyond a theoretical analysis into more concrete communicable information for people inside and outside of academics.

O autorze

Kimberly Spielman, MA in Geography, The University of Montana-
Missoula.
Christiane von Reichert, Professor of Geography, The University
of Montana-Missoula. BS in Economics, BJMU Würzburg, Germany; MS
in Economics and Regional Science, CAU Kiel, Germany; Ph.D. in
Geography, University of Idaho-Moscow.