In late January The Telegraph carried an article saying we should not grow our own food because of the ‘carbon footprint’ it creates
The article is entitled “Carbon footprint of homegrown food five times greater than those grown conventionally“, with the sub-header saying “The study found individual garden infrastructure responsible for increased levels of CO2“.
It is not a long article, so I reproduce it in full, intersperced with my own comments:
Growing your own food in an allotment may not be as good for the environment as expected, a study suggests.
The carbon footprint of homegrown foods is five times greater than produce from conventional agricultural practices, such as rural farms, data show.
A study from the University of Michigan looked at how much CO2 was produced when growing food in different types of urban farms and found that, on average, a serving of food made from traditional farms creates 0.07kg of CO2.
The impact on the environment is almost five times higher at 0.34kg per portion for individual gardens, such as vegetable patches or allotments.
So this was a theoretical study not observations or direct measurement. How the amount of CO2 released was calculated is not revealed.
The majority of the emissions do not come from the growing of the food themselves, the scientists say, but from the infrastructure needed to allow the food to be grown.
Researchers grouped urban agriculture sites into three categories: individual or family gardens, including allotments; collective gardens, such as community gardens; and larger, commercial-orientated urban farms.
Jake Hawes, a PhD candidate at Michigan and first author of the study, said: “The most significant contributor to carbon emissions on the urban agriculture sites we studied was the infrastructure used to grow the food – from raised beds to garden sheds to pathways, these constructions had a lot of carbon invested in their construction.”
Are we to infer from this that it is okay to use flat ground to grow food, but it’s not okay to lay a path, make a raised bed or put up a shed?
I fail to see how any of that increases CO2 emissions, unless we are to assume those things somehow emit CO2 once erected.
“Poorly managed compost and other synthetic inputs can also be important contributors, though they were not the majority on most of our sites.”
The study, published in the journal Nature Cities, recruited 73 urban agriculture sites around the world, including Europe, the US, and the UK, and conducted a comprehensive life cycle assessment on the site’s infrastructure, irrigation and supplies.
Fruit was found to be 8.6 times more eco-friendly when grown conventionally compared to in a city, whereas vegetables were 5.8 times better for the environment when left to the professionals.
But some crops have a lower carbon footprint than others and can help green-fingered members of the public make their allotment or garden better for the environment.
Tomatoes grown domestically, for example, have a lower carbon footprint than conventional farming, as does asparagus.
A serving of urban tomatoes makes, on average, 0.17kg of CO2, compared to 0.27kg in a conventional farm which would use an energy-intensive greenhouse.
Again, how these figures we arrived at we are not told.
Likewise asparagus, which is most often flown in from abroad and thousands of air miles, is a source of large carbon emissions if grown conventionally.
“We find that urban farmers and gardeners can reduce their net impact by focusing on foods that are high-carbon in conventional agriculture,” Mr Hawes said.
“Two examples of this that we identify are greenhouse-grown crops, including many tomatoes, and crops that are often flown in from across the planet, such as asparagus.”
The scientists also found that they can make their garden and at-home farming better for the environment by repairing their infrastructure as much as possible and not replacing it unless absolutely necessary.
This is exactly what most people who grow theor own food do. I helped my Dad repair his two sheds many times.
Two-thirds of the carbon footprint of allotments is created by the garden itself, data show, and building it to endure tough winters for several years can reduce the impact.
Why would we need to create gardens that can withstand tough winters? Aren’t we living in the hottest time ever?
If this is the case, winters will become progressively milder, so ‘tough winters’ will become a thing of the past.
Gardeners should also try and build their site with recycled or second-hand materials, wherever possible, with emissions being cut by more than half if waste from other parts of a city were upcycled for the beds and sheds, for example.
So instead of buying a new shed, we should use somebody else’s shed they were disposing of, probably because it had gone rotten?
This study was published in the journal Nature Cities
A couple years ago it was revealed the British government had started ‘encouraging’ farmers to stop producing food and sell their land for ‘other uses’, which will probably see the land being covered in solar panels.
The globslists want to reduce the food supply from farming, Biden said there WILL be food shortages, and now we are told not to grow our own.
Is this another part of the way the globalists get their population reduction, be causing people to die from malnutrition and starvation?
About the author: Andy Rowlands is a university graduate in space science and British Principia Scientific International researcher, writer and editor who co-edited the new climate science book, ‘The Sky Dragon Slayers: Victory Lap‘
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Every urban garden emits twice as much CO2 as every other urban garden. This has created the tipping point where gardening has caused runaway CO2 emissions.
This runaway event will cause vast vegetation growth, with bean plants growing up into the clouds.
It could, in fact, be the goose that lays the golden egg.
I apologize to anybody who read this.
Another unemployable mathematician playing with his computer, who has no understanding of biological systems, such as companion planting, permaculture, composting, soil health etc. Growing your own food is science in practice, both deeply satisfying and empowering.
Homeowners associations are a tool for control of the land. It’s hard to find a place without them, and you’re forced to join. Their architectural review committees often ban vegetable gardens. As if gardens look bad, and as if anyone has a right to a certain view of another man’s property anyway.
How many of you have grown up on a rural farm? How many of you eat only fruit and vegetables that you grow on your city property? How many of you do eat cereal grains, potatoes, and artificial foods made from soybeans and sweet potatoes, natural dairy products, meat, etc.? Do you see the point of my questions?
I read that 2% of the world’s population (rural farmers) feed the other 98%. But make that 10%, to make it more easy to accept, feed the other 90%. When are you going to wake up and stop dreaming?
Hi Jerry, I grew up in Birmingham and my parents grew some of their own food; potatoes, rhubarb, green beans, cabbages. Forgive me for asking, but what is it I need to wake up from?
Phuuk him and his computer game, i’m sowing my sweet peas this week 600 plants, my morning glory 100 plants, and cutting up my mother plant geraniums to root up for spring, and i simply don’t care about how much it will all warm the the planet for the rest of you.
Hi Gary,
“i simply don’t care about how much it will all warm the the planet for the rest of you.” While I do not believe anyone can warm the planet, however based upon what you wrote and many others have written here at PSI, I must conclude that you and they are quite self-centered.
If you are a farmer time to think
about moving to Africa or Russia . Countries and companies are buying land in Africa for farming due to
Green policies stifling agriculture in their own county . Africa is expected to be the bread basket of the world in the future .
Evidently you haven’t followed the current events occurring in the Ukraine the past few years or studied the geography of Africa. The northern portion of Africa is desert and the southern portion tapers down to a smaller area. And a good portion of Afica’s greatest area is in the tropics and is jungle which R. G. LeTourneau, with his big machines, proved could not be converted to farmland.
I see you are not familiar with how Africa is progressing . Vast sums of money are being pushed into farming in Africa . If countries and companies are buying and leasing land in the continent for agricultural it is done with research .
The population of Africa will double by 2050 so obviously things are on the move.
Regarding Russia this is another bread basket of the world .
So commercial agriculture is bad and growing your own food is bad, what’s the solution to feeding the planet?
You will eat ze bugs!
So sorry to inform you promoters of depopulation, that’s an unequivocal NO!
The greening of the planet is good. More CO2 please right along with the natural cyclical warming and cooling of the planet.
The WEF are not morons, but they think we are.
incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.
Whokoo
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Every urban garden emits twice as much CO2 as every other urban garden. This has created the tipping point where gardening has caused runaway CO2 emissions.
This runaway event will cause vast vegetation growth, with bean plants growing up into the clouds.
It could, in fact, be the goose that lays the golden egg.
I apologize to anybody who read this.
Reply
Chris*
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Another unemployable mathematician playing with his computer, who has no understanding of biological systems, such as companion planting, permaculture, composting, soil health etc. Growing your own food is science in practice, both deeply satisfying and empowering.
Reply
Tom
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Carbon footprint does NOT exist. Growing your own food is essential and a splendid idea. Do not listen to these dummies and anti-human thugs.
Reply
crackpot
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Homeowners associations are a tool for control of the land. It’s hard to find a place without them, and you’re forced to join. Their architectural review committees often ban vegetable gardens. As if gardens look bad, and as if anyone has a right to a certain view of another man’s property anyway.
Reply
VOWG
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People who do not want you to eat do not deserve to live.
Reply
Jerry Krause
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Hi Andy, Whokoo, Christ*, Tom, and Crackpot
How many of you have grown up on a rural farm? How many of you eat only fruit and vegetables that you grow on your city property? How many of you do eat cereal grains, potatoes, and artificial foods made from soybeans and sweet potatoes, natural dairy products, meat, etc.? Do you see the point of my questions?
I read that 2% of the world’s population (rural farmers) feed the other 98%. But make that 10%, to make it more easy to accept, feed the other 90%. When are you going to wake up and stop dreaming?
Have a good day
Reply
Andy Rowlands
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Hi Jerry, I grew up in Birmingham and my parents grew some of their own food; potatoes, rhubarb, green beans, cabbages. Forgive me for asking, but what is it I need to wake up from?
Reply
Whokoo
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Hi Andy. You need to wake up from sleep deprivation.
Reply
Jerry Krause
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Hi Andy,
You need to wakeup and begin answering the direct questions, to which only you know the objective answers. This before you ask me one. question.
Have a good day
Reply
Andy Rowlands
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I have no idea what you are talking about
Reply
Wisenox
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Purposely done by the nobility.
Reply
Gary Ashe
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Phuuk him and his computer game, i’m sowing my sweet peas this week 600 plants, my morning glory 100 plants, and cutting up my mother plant geraniums to root up for spring, and i simply don’t care about how much it will all warm the the planet for the rest of you.
Reply
Jerry Krause
| #
Hi Gary,
“i simply don’t care about how much it will all warm the the planet for the rest of you.” While I do not believe anyone can warm the planet, however based upon what you wrote and many others have written here at PSI, I must conclude that you and they are quite self-centered.
Have a good day
Reply
Gary Ashe
| #
3 weeks ago i sew all my petunia and pansies, under lights, cleared up the snow outside within a week Jerry
Reply
Richard
| #
If you are a farmer time to think
about moving to Africa or Russia . Countries and companies are buying land in Africa for farming due to
Green policies stifling agriculture in their own county . Africa is expected to be the bread basket of the world in the future .
Reply
Jerry Krause
| #
Hi Richard,
Evidently you haven’t followed the current events occurring in the Ukraine the past few years or studied the geography of Africa. The northern portion of Africa is desert and the southern portion tapers down to a smaller area. And a good portion of Afica’s greatest area is in the tropics and is jungle which R. G. LeTourneau, with his big machines, proved could not be converted to farmland.
Have a good day
Reply
Richard
| #
I see you are not familiar with how Africa is progressing . Vast sums of money are being pushed into farming in Africa . If countries and companies are buying and leasing land in the continent for agricultural it is done with research .
The population of Africa will double by 2050 so obviously things are on the move.
Regarding Russia this is another bread basket of the world .
Reply
Lorraine
| #
So commercial agriculture is bad and growing your own food is bad, what’s the solution to feeding the planet?
You will eat ze bugs!
So sorry to inform you promoters of depopulation, that’s an unequivocal NO!
The greening of the planet is good. More CO2 please right along with the natural cyclical warming and cooling of the planet.
The WEF are not morons, but they think we are.
Reply