Food has as much to do with congestion as it has to do with indigestion it is revealed, with some people travelling over 1000 miles a year just to do the shopping.

Food transport in general has a significant and growing impact on road congestion, road accidents, climate change, noise and air pollution according to a new report published by Defra.

The environmental and social costs of the impacts are estimated at £9 billion per year with more than half due to road congestion. Consumers travel an average of 898 miles a year by car to shop for food and the quantity of food transported by heavy goods vehicles has doubled since 1974. Food transport now accounts for 25% of all HGV vehicle kilometres in the UK.

The government is working with the food industry to reduce this and has published a consultation asking the sector to prepare a plan for achieving a 20% reduction in the environmental and social costs of food transport by about 2012.

The report shows that in general higher levels of vehicle activity lead to higher environmental impacts. But it is not a simple matter of so-called 'food miles'. The mode, timing, location and efficiency of food transport is important as well as the distance.

The report also shows:

• Food transport costs are estimated at £9bn per year of which,
• £5bn is due to road congestion,
• £2bn is due to road accidents,
• £1bn is due to pollution,
• Food shopping by car accounts for 40 per cent of the total costs.
• Organic and seasonally-available food can reduce environmental impacts but that these can be offset by the way they are transported to the consumer's home.
• Buying local products has the potential to greatly reduce the distance food is transported but that the benefits can be offset by increased road congestion if they are supplied in a less transport efficient way.
• Internet buying and home delivery can cut vehicle kilometres and reduce road congestion.