Food miles refer to the distance food travels from field to plate. Longer food miles contribute significantly to carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change. The document discusses how most fruit and vegetables in the UK are now imported, having doubled since the 1990s, and imports are predicted to continue rising. It identifies several causes for this increase in food imports and miles, including lower costs, consumer demand for out-of-season foods, some foods not being able to be grown in the UK, supermarket desires for higher profits, and improved transportation technology. Potential positive and negative impacts of increased food miles are also mentioned.

1. What are the causes and
impacts of food miles?
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?

2. 8,144 miles

3. The journey of a banana

4. The journey fruit makes
• Food miles are clocked up by the fresh fruit
and vegetables arriving by plane from across
the globe.
• Then the fruit gets loaded in to lorries and
driven across various parts of the country to
supermarkets
• Then once on a shelf the products are then
bought by people who then drive it back home.
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?

5. How much of our food comes from
abroad?
Now 80 years ago
Experts say we should reduce the amount of food
we import even further. Why do you think this is?
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?

6. How far has your meal travelled?
1. Imagine you are planning
a meal from the
ingredients from the list
here, write down the
items of food you would
use.
2. Now write down the
country and food miles.
3. Work out a total
distance the food would
have travelled.
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?

7. What are food miles?
• Food miles are the measure of the ____________
a food travels from field to plate. This travel adds
substantially to the ___________ ___________
emissions that are contributing to ____________
change. ____________ per cent of the fruit and
half of the vegetables in the UK are __________.
The amount of food being _________ into the UK
____________ in the 1990s and is predicted to
rise further each year.
Ninety-five flown climate
distance imported
carbon dioxide doubled
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?

8. Its cheaper
People want to eat
out-of-season food all
year round.
Some foods
can’t be
grown in the
UK
Improved
technology
Supermarkets
want bigger
profits
People don’t
look at
where food
comes from.

9. Causes
• More and more of our food is being
imported because:
1. Its cheaper
2. People want food out of season
3. Some food cant be grown in the UK
4. Supermarkets want bigger profits
5. Technology has improved
6. People don't look at where food comes
from
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?

10. Impacts of food miles
• Sort the cards into some of the positive
and negative impacts of food miles
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?

11. Impacts of food miles
Positive Negative

12. Are there any alternatives?
What can you think of?
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?

14. YOUR TURN, you choose ...
• Either ... design a
bill board advert for
the local market in
Surbiton. It should
encourage people to
shop locally and
outline some of the
problems of food
miles.
• Or ... write a role
play interview for
BBC Surbiton about
the impacts of food
miles. You will need
to argue why local
markets are a good
thing and why people
should support them.

16. HOMEWORK
• Design a handout for next year’s Yr9 on
either the causes or impacts of food
miles.
LO: What are the causes and impacts of food miles?