'Food Miles'

Food miles means the distance food travels from where it is grown, reared, caught or produced to where it is bought, cooked or eaten.

What Do Food Miles Actually Mean

Food miles are a way of thinking about the journey behind food.

When someone asks about the provenance of food, they are asking a deeper question than “what is this product?” They are asking where it came from, who produced it, how it was handled and whether the information around it is honest.

The phrase “food miles” usually focuses on distance, but the idea is bigger than a number. It helps people think about where food comes from, how many steps sit between producer and buyer, and whether there is a closer or clearer route available.

At BFFD, food miles matter because our platform is being built to help people find food closer to home. The aim is not to make every food journey local, because that is not realistic. The aim is to make local options easier to discover where they exist.

Why Food Miles Matter

Food miles matter because food movement has real consequences.

Transport uses fuel, infrastructure, refrigeration, packaging, handling and storage. Longer journeys can also make food feel more anonymous. The further food travels through a complex supply chain, the harder it may be for shoppers to understand where it came from and who produced it.

Food miles also matter because they affect the way people think about resilience. If a household only knows one way to shop, it has fewer options. If a community does not know which farms, growers, shops and markets exist nearby, local food becomes harder to support. If producers are difficult to find, the public is pushed towards the most visible centralised routes.

The UK Government’s food strategy for England sets out a vision for a food system that grows the economy, protects the environment and celebrates British food and culture. Food miles sit within that wider conversation because they connect sourcing, transport, supply chain structure and local food visibility.

For BFFD, the key point is practical: when people can find local food more easily, they have more choice about how far their food travels and who they support.

THE NATURAL FOOD JOURNEY

Farm or Grower

Producer or Processor

Farm Shop, Market or Direct Sale

Kitchen Table

Direct Farm Sale

A customer buys eggs, milk, meat, fruit or vegetables directly from a farm.

Farm Shop Route

A farm shop sells its own produce and food from nearby suppliers.

Farmers Market Route

A producer sells face to face with shoppers at a local market.

Food Miles Are Only Part of the Story

Food miles are useful, but they do not tell the whole story.

A product with fewer miles is not automatically better in every way. Production methods, seasonality, storage, refrigeration, waste, packaging, transport type and farming practices also matter. For example, food transported by ship may have a lower transport footprint than food carried long distances by road or air. Our World in Data notes that transporting food by boat emits far less than air freight or trucks, and that food miles are often a smaller share of food emissions than production itself.

That does not make food miles irrelevant. It means they should be used carefully.

Food Miles and Local Food

Local food often has shorter and clearer routes between producer and customer.

If someone buys vegetables from a market garden, eggs from a nearby farm, honey from a local beekeeper or meat from a farmer selling direct, the food journey is easier to understand. There may be fewer unknown stages, fewer distant warehouses and more opportunity to ask the producer questions.

Farm shops, farmers markets and direct farm sales can all help shorten or clarify the journey. A farm shop may stock its own produce and products from nearby suppliers. A farmers market can connect shoppers with growers, bakers, cheesemakers and other producers face to face. A direct sale from a farm can make the route especially clear.

This is exactly where BFFD fits in. Our role is to help users find these local routes by product, location and supplier type.

Food Miles and Seasonality

When people buy British seasonal food, they are more likely to find produce that has been grown closer to home. Strawberries in the British summer, apples in autumn, roots and brassicas in winter, and asparagus in spring all carry a stronger seasonal connection.

When shoppers expect every food all year round, supply chains often stretch further. Some produce may need to travel from warmer countries, be stored for long periods or be grown in more energy intensive conditions.

This does not mean imported food is always wrong. Britain does not grow everything, and many imported foods are part of normal diets. But seasonality helps people make better decisions. If a British option is in season and available nearby, it may offer a clearer route from producer to plate.

BFFD’s seasonal content and local food discovery pages are designed to help people make those connections.

Food Miles and Food Waste

A food’s journey does not end when it reaches the kitchen.

If food is bought and then wasted, the miles, production effort, energy, water, packaging and labour behind it are wasted too. This is why food miles should be considered alongside household planning and waste reduction.

WRAP’s 2025 UK Food Waste and Food Surplus report provides an overview of food waste statistics across the UK, and a House of Commons Library briefing notes that household food waste is a major part of UK food waste.

For shoppers, this means the best choice is not always only the closest food. It is also the food you will use well.

Buying seasonal vegetables from a farm shop, planning meals around a meat box, freezing surplus fruit, using bread before it goes stale and cooking with what is already in the fridge can all make food miles more meaningful.

Examples of low food mile consumption

Fresh Bread from a Local Bakery

A local bakery sources flour from a nearby mill and sells bread directly to customers in the surrounding area, reducing transportation distances.

Vegetables from a Community Garden

A customer collects seasonal vegetables from a local community garden or allotment. The produce travels only a short distance from where it is grown to where it is eaten.

Milk from a Regional Dairy

Milk produced and bottled at a nearby dairy is delivered to local shops within the region, keeping transport distances relatively short.

Honey from a Local Beekeeper

Customers purchase honey produced by beehives in their local area. The product moves through a simple supply chain with minimal transportation.

Fish Landed at a Nearby Coastal Port

Fish caught by local fishing boats and sold through nearby markets can travel much shorter distances than imported seafood products.

How Shoppers Can Think About Food Miles

Shoppers do not need to calculate every journey, it is not reasonable nor is it convenient. A practical approach is better.

Start by looking for food that is local, British or seasonal where possible. Ask farm shops what is from their own farm and what comes from nearby producers. Visit farmers markets and speak to stallholders. Check whether a supplier explains origin clearly. Buy amounts you can use properly. Treat food waste as part of the same conversation.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is better awareness.

BFFD helps by making local food easier to find, so users can make more informed choices without having to search through scattered sources.

Common Misunderstandings About Food MILES AND THIER FOOD

Related Terms

Food Miles

The distance food travels before consumption.

Local Food

Food grown, reared, made or sold closer to where people live.

Farm Gate Sales

Food sold directly from a farm to the public.

Free Range

What does free range actually mean and its purpouse?

Carbon Credits

Learn about Carbon Credits & thier systems.

Farm To Fork

Exploring the best route from crop to plate.

Food Provenance

Exploring the best route from crop to plate.

helpful links

FAQ

What does food miles mean?

Food miles means the distance food travels from where it is grown, reared, caught or produced to where it is bought, cooked or eaten.

Why are food miles important?

Food miles are important because they help people understand the journey behind food, including distance, transport, sourcing, freshness and the connection between producer and customer.

Are food miles the same as carbon footprint?

No. Food miles are only one part of a food’s carbon footprint. Production methods, land use, energy use, storage, packaging and waste can also matter.

Is local food always better for food miles?

Local food often has a shorter and clearer journey, but it is not automatically better in every case. Shoppers should also consider seasonality, production methods, freshness, waste and clear supplier information.

How can I reduce food miles?

You can reduce food miles by buying seasonal British produce, visiting farm shops, using farmers markets, buying direct from producers and choosing local suppliers where practical.

Why does BFFD care about YOUR food miles?

BFFD cares about YOUR food miles because people should be able to understand where food comes from and find local options more easily. WE KNOW there is a huge push to lock the consumer into a difficult position financially and so our platform helps users search by location, product and supplier type to reduce the pressure on lowering your carbon consumption.

Do farm shops reduce food miles?

Farm shops can help reduce or clarify food journeys, especially when they sell their own produce or stock nearby suppliers. Shoppers should check what is produced locally and what is sourced from elsewhere.

Do food miles matter if food is wasted?

Yes. If food is wasted, the production, transport, packaging, storage and labour behind it are wasted too. Reducing waste is an important part of making food choices more meaningful.

Find Food Closer to Home

Food miles help people understand the journey behind what they eat.

BFFD is being built to help shoppers find farmers, farm shops, markets, growers and specialist producers with clearer links between food, place and people.

about us

charities

insights

guide

promote

resources