Understanding Food Miles: The Journey of Supermarket Herbs

Fresh herbs are available year-round in European supermarkets—a convenience we've come to expect. That packet of basil in February, the mint for your summer drinks, the cilantro for your tacos—all readily accessible, regardless of season or climate. This availability is the result of a sophisticated global food system that has evolved over decades to meet consumer demand.

But understanding how this system works—and what it requires—can help us make more informed decisions about our food.

What Are Food Miles?

Food miles measure the distance food travels from where it's produced to where it's consumed. It's a metric that helps us understand one aspect of our food system's environmental footprint.

For fresh herbs in Europe, research shows an average travel distance of approximately 2,483 miles (about 4,000 kilometers). This figure reflects a mix of both European-grown herbs (from countries like France, Italy, and Spain) and imports from further afield (such as India, Morocco, and Israel).

To put this in perspective: that's roughly the distance from Amsterdam to Cairo.

How Herbs Reach Supermarket Shelves

The modern herb supply chain is a complex, interconnected system designed to deliver fresh produce efficiently. Here's how it typically works:

Production

Herbs are grown in regions selected for various factors: favorable climate, lower production costs, established agricultural infrastructure, and expertise. Spain and Italy are major producers within Europe, while countries like Morocco, Kenya, and India supply herbs during off-seasons or when European production can't meet demand.

This geographic diversity allows supermarkets to offer consistent availability—something that wouldn't be possible relying solely on local production in temperate climates like the Netherlands or UK.

Harvesting & Packaging

After harvesting, herbs are packaged to protect them during transport and extend shelf life. The plastic pots and packaging commonly used serve a functional purpose: they reduce bruising, maintain humidity, and help herbs survive the journey from farm to consumer.

Transportation

This is where the food miles concept becomes tangible. Herbs travel through multiple stages:

• From farm to distribution center: Often by truck or, for long distances, by ship or plane
• To regional warehouses: Where they're sorted and redistributed
• To individual supermarkets: Usually by refrigerated truck

Transport methods vary based on distance and urgency. Road transport accounts for about 60% of food transport emissions globally, air freight for 20%, and sea/rail for the remaining 20%. Because herbs are perishable, air freight is sometimes used to maintain freshness, particularly for herbs sourced from distant regions.

Refrigeration & Storage

Throughout this journey, temperature control is essential. Refrigerated trucks, warehouse storage, and supermarket displays all work to keep herbs fresh. This cold chain requires continuous energy input.

Retail

Finally, herbs arrive at your local supermarket, where they're displayed and sold within a relatively short window before quality declines.

The Environmental Factors

Understanding the environmental impact of this system requires looking at multiple factors, not just distance traveled.

Transportation Emissions

Different transport methods have different emissions profiles (measured in CO2 per metric tonne per kilometer):

• Air freight: ~500g CO2 (highest emissions, but fastest)
• Road transport: ~40g CO2 (moderate emissions, flexible)
• Sea freight: ~10g CO2 (lowest emissions, slowest)

Research shows that food transport contributes approximately 19% of total food system emissions when the entire supply chain is considered. However, it's worth noting that this varies significantly depending on the specific product and transport method used.

Production Emissions

Interestingly, studies have found that production methods often have a larger impact than transport distance. For example, herbs grown in heated greenhouses in temperate regions can have higher total emissions than herbs grown outdoors in warmer climates and transported longer distances.

This means that "local" doesn't always equal "lower environmental impact" when production methods are factored in. It's a more complex equation than distance alone.

Water Usage

Traditional soil-based farming requires significant water resources. Research on vegetables (including leafy herbs like lettuce) shows water usage of approximately 250 liters per kilogram of produce in conventional agriculture. In water-scarce regions, this can place pressure on local water supplies.

Packaging & Waste

The plastic packaging used for supermarket herbs serves a purpose but also creates waste. Additionally, because supermarket herbs often have short lifespans after purchase, disposal rates can be high—meaning the resources invested in growing and transporting them don't always result in consumption.

How This System Developed

It's worth understanding that the current food system didn't emerge arbitrarily. It developed in response to real demands and constraints:

Consumer expectations: People wanted year-round access to fresh herbs, regardless of season. The system evolved to meet this demand.

Economic efficiency: Centralized distribution and economies of scale reduced costs, making fresh herbs affordable for more people.

Agricultural specialization: Growing herbs where conditions are optimal often results in better yields and quality than forcing production in less suitable climates.

Food security: Diversified sourcing helps ensure supply stability when local production faces challenges like weather events or crop failures.

These are legitimate factors that have shaped modern food distribution. The system works—it delivers fresh herbs to millions of people reliably and affordably.

Why Alternative Approaches Matter

While the current system functions effectively, there are reasons to explore alternatives—not to replace the existing infrastructure entirely, but to provide options that address some of its limitations.

Resource Efficiency

Indoor hydroponic growing, for example, uses significantly less water than traditional agriculture—research shows reductions of 80-90%, with water usage as low as 20 liters per kilogram of produce compared to 250 liters for soil-based methods. For water-stressed regions, this efficiency matters.

Localized Production

Growing herbs at home eliminates transport entirely. When herbs travel from your countertop to your plate, food miles drop to near zero, along with associated transport emissions and packaging waste.

Freshness & Waste Reduction

Home-grown herbs can be harvested as needed, reducing waste. Supermarket herbs have a limited shelf life and often deteriorate before being fully used, which means the resources invested in producing and transporting them don't translate into consumption.

System Resilience

Diversified food sources—including home production, local farming, and global supply chains—create more resilient systems overall. When one source faces disruption, others can compensate.

The Bigger Picture

Food systems are complex, and there's rarely a single "right" answer. Both global supply chains and localized production have roles to play.

Global supply chains provide:

• Year-round availability
• Affordable prices through economies of scale
• Economic opportunities for farmers in developing regions
• Supply stability through geographic diversification

Localized production (including home growing) offers:

• Reduced transport emissions and packaging
• Greater water efficiency (especially with hydroponic systems)
• Fresher produce with minimal waste
• Connection to food sources and growing processes

Understanding these factors helps us make informed choices based on our priorities, circumstances, and values.

What Indoor Growing Offers

For those interested in reducing their reliance on transported herbs, indoor hydroponic systems like Herbi provide a practical alternative:

Resource efficiency: Hydroponic growing uses up to 90% less water than soil-based agriculture while delivering nutrients directly to plant roots for faster growth.

Space optimization: Compact systems fit on kitchen counters, making home herb production accessible even in apartments or homes without gardens.

Year-round production: Built-in LED grow lights enable cultivation regardless of season, climate, or natural light availability.

Zero transport: Herbs travel from plant to plate in seconds, eliminating transport emissions and packaging entirely.

Minimal waste: Harvesting only what's needed, when it's needed, reduces disposal of unused herbs.

This doesn't mean home growing replaces supermarket purchasing for everyone—different approaches suit different needs and situations. But it does provide an option for those who value these particular benefits.

Looking Forward

The conversation around food miles and environmental impact is evolving. We're learning that simple metrics like "distance traveled" don't tell the whole story—production methods, transport modes, waste rates, and resource efficiency all matter.

What's becoming clear is that sustainable food systems will likely involve multiple approaches: improved efficiency in global supply chains, expansion of local and regional farming, and increased adoption of home and urban growing.

Understanding how our current system works—and why it developed the way it did—helps us appreciate both its strengths and its limitations. From that understanding, we can make informed choices about which foods to source from where, based on our individual circumstances and priorities.

For fresh herbs, the option to grow at home now exists in a practical, accessible form. Whether that's the right choice depends on your situation, but it's an option worth understanding.