Book 9, Question 108
Why Truck, Ship, and Fly Food Around the World?
We truck, ship, and fly food around the world because climate and seasons limit what grows nearby! Bananas need warm weather, while apples need cool winters. Transport brings variety, but it also costs energy, so people think about it carefully.
More fun facts
- About 90 percent of all goods traded around the world travel by ship.
- That is the same way most goods traveled almost 500 years ago.
- Moving food around the world on trucks, boats and planes uses a lot of energy.
- Much of the energy used to grow, make and move food comes from burning fossil fuels.
- The environmental costs of running ships and trucks all over the world add up.
- After disasters, the charity World Central Kitchen hires local food trucks to reach as many people as possible.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, BBC, National Geographic, NASA
Questions kids ask
How does most stuff travel around the world?
By ship. About 90 percent of all goods go by sea.