The city of Toronto has looked at the carbon and environmental impact of food and food systems
and finds that 30-40% of its carbon footprint comes in one way or another from food related activities: transportation, energy growing, retailing.
Growing 10% of the vegetables in the city would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37.9 kilotonnes a year, help meet Toronto’s commitments to reduce global warming, and avoid more than $5 million in environmental costs. Growing your own food involves caring for the soil, composting, and growing plants from seeds, it reduces transportation, packaging and waste, the energy input is mainly from the sun and from the gardener’s physical labour. In addition allotments provide a space where the local community can share knowledge as well as plants and produce.
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