What does the example of the tomato show?
It seems plain that food should be grown close to where it is eaten: the shorter the journey, the lower the emissions. 'Food miles' have become a slogan for this idea. But transport accounts for a small share of the emissions from most foods; the larger part comes from how they are grown. A tomato raised in a heated greenhouse in a cold country can cause more emissions than one grown outdoors in a warm country and shipped by sea. Buying local may have other merits, such as supporting nearby farms, but these should be argued separately. As a rule for reducing emissions, the slogan misleads, because it picks out a feature that is easy to see rather than one that matters most.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. A food transported over a long distance can have lower emissions than one grown nearby
- Step 1: The passage says a tomato from a heated greenhouse can cause more emissions than one grown outdoors in a warm country and shipped by sea.
- Step 2: The only choice consistent with this is "A food transported over a long distance can have lower emissions than one grown nearby".
Answer
A food transported over a long distance can have lower emissions than one grown nearby.
Why not the others: The tomato example compares two methods of growing and does not show that tomatoes are the most polluting food, that ships emit nothing, that outdoor farming is impossible or that tomatoes cannot be exported.
Practise more Food and the environment.
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