A Bermudian company that is focused on selling locally grown foods is asking residents to think about the environmental impact of purchasing fresh produce that is shipped in from overseas.

Honest Greens Bermuda said buying locally grown food supports local farmers and increases food security, while reducing environmental impact.

It believes residents would be shocked if they tallied up how many miles fresh vegetables travelled before appearing on their dinner table. Honest Greens Bermuda has published the illustrated story, Letty the Lettuce, to show the concept of food miles.

A spokesperson said: “We want food lovers to understand that there are locally grown options which are fresher, healthier and more nutritionally dense than imported produce. Local farming also has the benefit of reduced food miles and the associated environmental benefits.

“Although we focus on leafy greens, we also believe in supporting other local farmers who grow a variety of other produce.”

It said food miles is defined as the distance food is transported from the time of its making until it reaches the consumer, and is one factor used when evaluating the environmental impact of food.

The company said its food is sourced locally, and therefore “no matter where you live on island, locally grown produce will generally travel no more than 20 or so miles”.

In comparison, some popular organic vegetable brands sold in Bermuda are trucked from farms in California to processing and packaging plants, and then transported up to 3,000 miles to either New Jersey or Florida to be put on a container ship to Bermuda and then travelling between 800 and 1,000 miles to the island.

“All in all, you are looking at a maximum of 20 miles for locally grown produce, versus 3,700 to 4,000 or more food miles for imported,” said the spokesperson for Honest Green Bermuda.

“Furthermore, at each stage of handling for the imported stuff, there are risks of contamination as well as loss of quality and freshness. This is why we sometimes see the imported stuff turning slimy soon after opening the package”.

Honest Greens Bermuda said its mission is to make better quality food available for customers. It provides weekly, contactless delivery.

For more information visit www.honestgreensbermuda.com and use promo code Ebook10 to get 10 per cent off on the first four-week subscription.

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