You may have heard the staggering statistic that the ingredients in the average American meal travel over 1500 miles before landing on our kitchen tables, according to the Worldwatch Institute. A recent Common Dreams article explains how the tremendous growth of the globalized food system has become “one of the single most important causes of increased greenhouse gases during the past 50 years.”

That’s why you should venture over to TrueCostTour.org, which offers a virtual tour of a grocery store, revealing the hidden environmental costs of the products we purchase weekly at the market. Whether it’s produce, processed foods, cleaning agents, meats, or paper products, everything has a cost to the planet that far exceeds its price tag.

The online tour reveals sobering statistics like the following: “Nearly 70 percent of our nation's produce comes from only 7 percent of our nation's farms.” And “genetically engineered ingredients, such as corn and wheat, are currently found in 60-70 percent of the food found on grocery store shelves.”

The True Cost Tour tries to impart good news: We all have purchasing power, and a conscientious consumer mentality can improve your health, the environment, and the global economy. The final word of advice isn’t surprising: Buy organic and shop locally. But spending 10 minutes to listen to the Tour’s facts will deepen your conviction to do so.

Image credit: Truecosttour.org