Getting your produce from your local farmer’s market is a great way to help the plant but by growing your own food, it reduces your carbon footprint immensely therefore benefits the planet.
Why is it important?
When you don’t buy from your local market or grow your food, take into account the energy and resources it takes to bring your produce to the grocery stores. It takes about 1,500 miles before it gets to that store. That long distance transportation gets it energy from burning fossil fuel which has so much negative impact in the environment.
Let’s take a look at other benefits of growing your own food:
- Reduce plastic – When you grow your own food, you are also reducing waste from packaging materials such plastics and cardboard.
- Reduce food miles – Although exact numbers vary, but according to studies a quarter of all road freight (by vehicle miles) is food. It has doubled since 1974.
- Reuse/repurpose waste – From kitchen scraps to old bed heads!
- Improve soil = reduce carbon emissions – If all of us improve our soil, it could pull significant amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and slow the speed of climate change.
- Reduce pesticides and chemicals poisoning our earth and waterways
- Improve the eco-system and biodiversity – It helps purify the air, promotes production of oxygen, preserves soil, it helps with pollination and control of agricultural pests.
- Improve human physical & mental health – Research show that gardening has a positive effect on our mental health.
- Foster sense of community – community gardens increase a sense of community ownership which inspires people to deal with other social concerns.
- Reduce water use – or use wisely #growfoodnotlawns – Water scarcity affects one-third of the world’s population and chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides make their way into the groundwater that end up in drinking water.
- Foster connection to food & skills in future generations – Food is important for our health, but it’s also meaningful to us in other ways and our culture.
- Sustainable family activity – Gardening is a healthy and productive activity for families. It brings family closer and it promotes a path to healthy eating for our children.
- Bonus points – what’s your idea?
