The Carbon Cost of Your Grocery Store: Why Supply Chain Reform Starts Local
When we walk into a grocery store, we’re often focused on what’s convenient, affordable, or familiar. What we don’t see is the invisible carbon cost riding alongside every out-of-season strawberry or pre-packaged meal—costs that accumulate with every truckload, plane shipment, and refrigerated mile.
It’s not just about the distance food travels. It’s about the entire system—from industrial-scale farming to cold-chain logistics—that’s fueling climate change.
The Real Emissions Behind Our Food
Globally, the food system is responsible for more than a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Within that figure, transportation and refrigeration are major contributors.
Refrigerated transport and storage account for approximately 15% of global food-related emissions, with diesel-powered trucks, energy-intensive warehouses, and transcontinental shipping routes playing a significant role. Many of these emissions come from
