The issue of food miles and globalisation

Jacob Musyoki, who I visited on his farm in the Machakos district of Kenya, grows green beans that are air-freighted to Britain for sale in supermarkets. A lot of environmentalists want us to boycott them because of the CO2 emissions from the nightly flights from Nairobi. But that would be bad news for Musyoki, who makes a much better living growing beans for consumption in Britain than he did when his only markets were local. He has enough money for a TV. He is a citizen of the world and is proud his kids can now stay in school.

Do we really want to cut emissions by pulling the plug on Musyoki? He is not responsible for global warming. We are. Perhaps we should do something to cut our carbon emissions that inconveniences us, rather than wrecks his life. Why not keep buying the beans, but take the bus to the supermarket instead of driving?

Fred Pearce - The Guardian