Where food really comes from

In an age where people can access any type of food at any time of the year thanks to supermarket chains, it is easy to lose sight of where this food comes from.

Although bananas and tomatoes may be on the same aisle in the supermarket, they have often travelled thousands of miles from opposite ends of the earth to reach their eventual destination, crossing many seas and countries to get there.

Often a simple sticker or line of text on the packaging is the only indication we have of where the food was sourced from, but it is important not to lose sight of just how much toil and effort has been put into bringing the food to the consumer.

Further than you think

No matter if you class it as a fruit or vegetable (technically it's a fruit), the humble tomato is one of the most commonly eaten food items on the planet.

Suitable for vegans, vegetarians, coeliacs and lactose intolerant people, the tomato is also a staple of many national dishes and so a vital element of refrigerators across the world.

However, what people do not realise is that growing a tomato is easier said than done, particularly in winter, and so it is necessary to import them from elsewhere.

The next time you enjoy a salad in November, consider that the juicy tomato may have journeyed from Spain, rather than a local farmer's field.

Mary had a little lamb (11,000 miles away)

Lamb is a key component in many dishes, ranging from shepherd's pie to curry, but in many cases it has travelled the breadth of the globe to land on people's plates.

As a country that relies heavily on food exports, New Zealand provides some of the very finest meat to the rest of the world, particularly its lamb, which travels to the four corners of the planet.

Reared in perfectly lush conditions, New Zealand lambs are desired across the globe and used to add optimum flavour to moussaka and casserole dishes far and wide.

Consider this the next time you add mint sauce to your Sunday roast.

Going bananas

If people could only eat one type of food, bananas would be a good bet. Providing energy, vitamins and nutrients in substantial measures, they are the mid-morning snack of choice for millions of people around the world.

This was not always the case, however; it was not until modern refrigeration techniques were developed that bananas became widely available.

In the early 20th century, bananas were considered a luxury, the reason being that they travelled from the West Indies or Africa and were therefore costly to transport.

Thanks to globalisation and new means of refrigeration, bananas are now a staple food for many, yet it is still difficult and often impossible to grow them in cooler climates, meaning the West Indies and Africa will dominate production for many years to come.

New kids on the choc

For some people, chocolate is their greatest pleasure in life; whether it be dark, milk or white, chocolate has become the snack of choice for millions and the global confectionery market is worth billions.

However, were it not for the simple cocoa bean, chocolate as we know it may never have existed. Nowadays, most of the world's cocoa is produced in Africa, with the Ivory Coast being by far the biggest exporter of the bean.

With 1.3 million metric tonnes of coca beans produced by the country every year, we need to thank the farmers of the Ivory Coast every time we tuck into an Easter egg, selection box or chocolate bar.

A zest for life

With governments across the world urging us to eat more fruit and veg to help lower obesity rates, fruit has never been so popular, and this can definitely be said of oranges, which comprise a major proportion of people's daily fruit intake.

Whether consumed on their own or in a glass of orange juice, the citrus fruits have never been so popular, and we can thank the US and Brazil for keeping us constantly supplied.

Between them, the two nations supply almost half of the world's oranges, so the next time you tuck into one, think of the thousands of miles it has travelled to help complete your breakfast.

Food for thought

It is easy to forget that our food often travels the entire breadth of the globe to reach us, given how supermarkets have made it so simple to shop and follow a varied diet.

So, the next time you enjoy a fruit salad, curry or glass of orange juice, spare a thought for those who helped to cultivate and transport the ingredients - all for your convenience.