Why Food Miles Matter
At LocalPetFood.com, we talk a lot about what's in the can. NZ meat. No fillers. Just real food from right here in New Zealand.
But let’s talk about how far your pet's food has travelled to get to their bowl — because food miles matter.
What are food miles?
"Food miles" measure the distance food travels from where it’s produced to where it’s eaten. The further it travels, the more energy it takes — think refrigerated trucks, shipping containers, fuel, and packaging — all adding to the product’s environmental footprint.
It’s easy to forget that when you're feeding your pet food made overseas, that meat might have started life on one side of the world, been processed on another, and ended up in a warehouse here before it hits the shelf. That’s a lot of passport stamps for something your dog inhales in minutes.
Local is better — for everyone
Locally grown means fresher food. Shorter supply chains mean we can guarantee quality from paddock to plate. It means backing the people who live and work in your region — not a faceless global conglomerate. It means we know exactly where our meat comes from. No mystery meat, no rehydrated sludge, no vague “animal by-products.”
Choosing local is about choosing to do things differently. We’re farmers. We’re dog lovers. We care about what we feed our own animals — and yours. We want our business to be part of a future where food is honest, ethical, and grown with care.
Food miles are a simple but powerful way to think about that. Next time you pick up a tin of pet food, take a moment to ask — how far has this come? And why?
If we can raise it, make it, and can it here — why wouldn't we?
