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Effect of Localizing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Nutrition, Santa Barbara County

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David A. Cleveland*†, Corie N. Radka‡, Nora M. Müller‡, Tyler D. Watson‡, Nicole J. Rekstein‡, Hannah Van M. Wright‡, and Sydney E. Hollingshead‡

^† Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4160, United States

^‡ Current or former undergraduate student, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-4160, United States

Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (10), pp 4555–4562

DOI: 10.1021/es1040317

Publication Date (Web): April 22, 2011

*E-mail: cleveland@es.ucsb.edu.

§ Author Present Address

Currently Graduate student, L’Ecole des Affaires Internationales de Sciences Po, 27, rue Saint Guillaume, 75337 Paris, France

Author Present Address

Currently Research Assistant, Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Author Present Address

Currently, Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, and Campus Learning Assistance Services, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.

Author Present Address

Currently, Outreach Coordinator, Isla Vista Food Cooperative.

Abstract

The US agrifood system is very productive, but highly centralized and resource intensive with very weak links between production and consumption. This contributes to high levels of malnutrition and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). A popular approach to improvement is localization—reducing direct transport (farm to retail distance, or “food miles”). We examined Santa Barbara County (SBC) California, which mirrors the high production, nutritional and environmental problems, and growing localization movement of California. SBC ranks in the top 1% of US counties in value of agricultural products, and >80% of this value is produce (fruits and vegetables). We calculated the amount of produce grown in and consumed in SBC and estimated that >99% of produce grown in SBC is exported from the county, and >95% of produce consumed in SBC is imported. If all produce consumed in SBC was grown in the county (100% localization), it would reduce GHGE from the agrifood system <1%, and not necessarily affect nutrition. While food miles capture only a portion of the environmental impact of agrifood systems, localization could be done in ways that promote synergies between improving nutrition and reducing GHGE, and many such efforts exist in SBC.

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