The Journey of a Chapati
Have you ever thought about the effort behind a single chapati? The journey involves many steps and many people.
Steps in Agriculture (Story of Wheat)
- Sowing: Farmer plants the seeds.
- Growing: Months of care, watering, and protecting crops.
- Harvesting: Cutting the mature crop.
- Threshing & Winnowing: Separating grains from chaff.
- Storage: Keeping grains safe from pests.
- Transport: Moving grains to markets/factories.
- Processing: Grinding wheat into flour (Atta).
- Retail: Selling to the consumer.
- Cooking: Making the chapati.
What are Food Miles?
Food Miles refer to the total distance a food item travels from the place of production (farm) to the consumer (your plate).
- High Food Miles: Apples from another country. (More pollution from transport).
- Low Food Miles: Vegetables from a local farmer. (Fresher, less pollution).
Why reduce Food Miles?
- Environment: Less fuel burnt during transport reduces pollution.
- Economy: Supports local farmers.
- Health: Food is fresher and has fewer preservatives.
Tip
Respect Food: Given the immense effort by farmers and the environmental cost, we should never waste food. “Eat healthy, share, and respect food.”