Every ingredient on your plate has journeyed thousands of kilometres. Track the real environmental cost — from farm to fork.
Understanding the hidden cost of your plate
From farm to fork — every step carries a carbon cost
Academic submission details for this project
Pick ingredients visually — then add them to the calculator
Your saved calculations — track your carbon journey over time
Add ingredients, choose your city, see your carbon footprint
What does your meal's CO₂ actually mean in real-world terms?
Local vs imported food — transport mode matters enormously
The science and formulas behind the calculator
| Mode | CO₂ Factor | Relative | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🚢 Sea | 0.008 | 1× | Bulk, non-perishable |
| 🚆 Rail | 0.028 | 3.5× | Land routes, Europe |
| 🚛 Road | 0.096 | 12× | Short–medium haul |
| ✈️ Air | 0.602 | 75× | Perishables, fast delivery |
Everything you need to know about food miles & carbon tracking
Food miles refer to the distance food travels from where it is grown or produced to where it is consumed. Coined by Professor Tim Lang in the 1990s to highlight the hidden environmental costs in our food system.
The EcoMiles calculator estimates the carbon footprint of each ingredient using three inputs: the origin of the food, your destination city, and the transport mode.
Two formulas power every result: the Haversine formula for great-circle distance, and the DEFRA emissions formula (CO₂ = distance × weight ÷ 1000 × carbon factor).
CO₂ and other greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, driving global warming. The single biggest lever: avoid air-freighted food, which emits up to 75× more CO₂ per tonne-km than sea freight.
Simple swaps and habits to shrink your food miles footprint