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Re:Is Vertical Farming Really the Future of Agriculture? by xg15 on Friday July 06, 2018 @05:51AM (#17470154)
So:

CO2 for meat from NZ: Shipping + last mile

CO2 for locally produced meat: last mile

How is meat from NZ producing less CO2 than locally produced?

Re:Is Vertical Farming Really the Future of Agriculture? by jcranmer on Friday July 06, 2018 @08:36AM (#17470872)
You're using one (18-wheeler) truck for all of the different kinds of food for the last mile in terms of distribution center-to-supermarket, but one (pickup) truck each for the different sources for the farm-to-farmer's market. Not to mention that the distribution center is likely closer than the farms.
Re:Is Vertical Farming Really the Future of Agriculture? by xg15 on Friday July 06, 2018 @11:53AM (#17472418)
But food doesn't grow in distribution centers. At some point you have to transport the food out of the farm. That would result in the following chains (simplified):

Local: Farm -(1)-> Farmer's market -(4)-> Consumer's home

National: Farm -(1)-> Distribution center -(3)-> Supermarket -(4)-> Consumer's home

International: Farm -(1)-> Harbor/Distribution center of producing country -(2)-> Harbor/Distribution center of consuming country -(3)-> Supermarket -(4)-> Consumer's home

Where (1) is the farmer's pickup truck, (2) is a massive high-seas-capable container vessel, (3) is the 18-wheeler and (4) is the consumer's audi.

Yes, (2) and (3) may be vastly more efficient in CO2 per transported item - but it doesn't change the fact that they happen in addition to (1) and (4).

Re:Is Vertical Farming Really the Future of Agriculture? by jcranmer on Friday July 06, 2018 @04:03PM (#17474667)
That's not the case. When you talk about large-scale farming, the (1) in the latter chains are actually (3).
Re:Is Vertical Farming Really the Future of Agriculture? by saalweachter on Friday July 06, 2018 @12:37PM (#17472807)
I would note it's frequently an 18-wheeler from the farm to a distribution center as well.