Sustainability has been in the news for long enough that pretty much everyone assumes that locally produced comestibles are environmentally preferable to food from far-flung locales. Reduced transportation impact, non-industrialized production, fewer chemical treatments all play a part in that fact. But now, a South African study, commissioned by the produce and wine industry there, is questioning that concept on a number of levels.

The Deciduous Fruit Producers Trust in South Africa, with assistance from the UK government, is advancing the idea that the carbon impact of produce—the most obvious mark against importation—is not necessarily a product of distance. As the United Kingdom’s Trade and Development Minister Gareth Thomas says, “Food miles created are only one part of the equation—this study will look at the whole cycle of production, which is the only fair way to go.”

Thus far, the study has uncovered some interesting findings. For example, fresh flowers grown as far away as Kenya and flown to England have a lower carbon footprint than the same flowers grown in Holland and shipped across the English Channel. The difference stems from the use of energy-hungry heating and lighting systems needed to grow the plants in Northern Europe. 

Wine production, with its focus on soil and atmospheric conditions, has even more potential to pump up carbon impacts as grape production is moved closer to consumers.  In an effort to highlight South African products’ carbon competitiveness in foreign markets, the study aims to produce an online tool that would allow farmers to calculate their carbon impact. As massive UK supermarket chain Tesco plans to add carbon impact labeling in the next year, accurate data could be a massive commercial advantage.

But there’s more to sustainability than just environmental considerations. As Thomas adds, “Our research has shown nearly three-quarters of the UK public want to use their weekly shop to reduce poverty in the developing world.” With some one million citizens involved in the agricultural industry, and a total income of approximately four billion dollars from exported food and wine products, the South African economy relies heavily on purchases from the developed world. Additionally, land reform laws in South Africa are steadily redistributing agricultural areas to the historically repressed black majority, with a full 30% of commercial land set to be in the hands of black farmers by 2015.

While there’s no easy conversion between social and environmental concerns in food purchasing, it’s clear nevertheless that all these factors should play some role in selecting what food products to buy. The impacts of these decisions are only multiplied for larger corporate purchasers, further highlighting the need for accurate impact information. Through studies like this South African example, and through accurate labeling, as advanced by Tesco, future buyers will be far better equipped to make sustainable purchasing decisions.

Photo by Flickr user ratherbebiking