Local food

Some say that local food is better for the environment, because less fuel is needed to ship it.

Analysis needed

Food transportation footprint

In which cases does local food actually save fuel, and in which cases does it actually use more? Consider economies of scale in shipping.

Food production footprint

Does food production actually consume a lot more energy than transport? If so, maybe there are some places where the same food can be produced more energy-efficiently - and it would be greener to produce the food there, even if it's less local.

Perishable vs non-perishable foods

Non-perishable foods can be shipped more slowly, which can save fuel in some cases. Also, if food is dried or concentrated, there is less weight to transport.

=Existing farm land

We want to use existing farm land, not destroy more forests/habitats just to farm somewhere else. Is the most productive farm land close to where people actually live?