Ultimately, the movement of goods, including food, is driven by consumption patterns which illustrate the gap between those who want and can afford these goods in the richer north and those who need and can't afford them in the poorer south. The USA and Canada, with 5.2% of the world's population, are responsible for 31.5% of consumption. South Asia, with 22.4% of the population, is responsible for 2% of consumption. And the average African household today consumes 25% less than 25 years ago.
The focus on air-freighted food miles as a response to the growing environmental cost of the global food chain is well motivated but may be misdirected. Should we not be looking at creating a more environmentally sustainable food economy by:
- A more equitable world trade system supporting and protecting domestic producers, especially among poorer nations
- Taxation on air-fuel and on the polluting processes that run-up domestic food miles
- A growth in the domestic organic sector with support for localized farmers markets
- A challenge to, and reduction in, the concentrated power of supermarkets.
