The results
The energy required to produce the product was approximately five to six times the energy you get from it. This does not include transportation and distribution which might increase that
figure to between eight and twelve times the energy that your body gets to use. This provides some insight into the amount of energy we consume to get the level of convenience and variety currently enjoyed.
Interestingly the report also concludes that the overall environmental impact of consuming the canned version of sardines was some seven time greater than consuming locally caught fresh sardines. (Locally produced and consumed food really does make a lot of sense)
Bigger implications
I want to repeat that this is not about Brunswick Sardines as a brand or company, although their website says a lot about a ‘sustainable fishery’ and nothing about the materials and energy being used. We don't often hear of industries advertising how much energy (and water for that matter) they use to produce our food, goods and services, probably because we might be horrified.
The overuse of energy is one problem, but a major consequence of that problem are the GHG's being produced and accumulated in the atmosphere, as discussed last
week. While access to fossil-based energy is virtually unlimited, we must curtail emissions to ensure global warming is limited. This requires us to rethink how much energy we use and for what, going forward.
A wasteful approach to food
And it turns out that, on average (globally) ,modern industrial food systems use 9-10 units of energy input to produce just one unit of food energy. This average includes simple foods that harvest the sun's energy and are
consumed locally, right through to manufactured and highly-processed foods that are transported around the globe.
Highly manufactured foods would not exist without the large energy infrastructure that supports them. So, our silly sardine case is just a tiny example of the bigger experiment we now are faced with unwinding.
Good signs
Encouragingly there are already many community based programs existing and emerging around the globe and across New Zealand, with their entire focus being sustainable and regenerative agriculture and food.
These help reduce the distance to market, build local food resilience and are wonderful opportunities for young and old to grow their skills and work together in community, while regenerating and nurturing the land, water and nature around them.
Taking advantage of the sun, water and ecosystem services well, uses much less energy overall. If you have an apple tree at the end of your garden, wander down pick one and eat it, you just reversed the energy problem and made no
negative impact on the environment!
And maybe one day we will see business, government and brands advertising how little resources and energy they use?! (more on this in an upcoming article to look out for - In the year 2525 )
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” – Robert Swan
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Grant Symons - The Transition Guy
