In the context of food transport, is local farming more efficient than industrial agriculture?

It depends. While it is true that the food sector contributes to about 20–30% of all greenhouse gas emissions, research has also found that transport contributes to just about 4–6% of the food system’s carbon footprint, indicating that other aspects of food production & consumption such as agriculture, processing and cooking are much bigger causes of carbon emissions.* Also, emissions from food transport vary wildly depending on the means (air, rail, etc.) of transport. So, while we must use distance (or transport) as a factor that informs our decision-making, we must be careful not to make it the sole measure of sustainability or environmental impact.

In sum, local-farming is more often than not highly inefficient vis-à-vis industrial-agriculture, primarily due to vast differences in scale.** The “eco-friendly” narrative of the “local/organic” farming lobby is partly a feature of capitalism that often co-opts counter-narratives to further the cause of capital accumulation while also substituting spectacle for actual impact on Climate Change; not that organic farming isn’t beneficial***. But what “feels right” or “feels good” cannot be benchmarks for public policy, and the difficulty of measuring emissions along the complex supply chains further complicates the problem.**** Therefore, a thorough examination of the specific crop and the corresponding local+global context is crucial for deciding between local and industrial farming.

References:
* Wong, J. (2019, July 31). Should we eat local to cut food miles, or does it make no difference? New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24332412-800-should-we-eat-local-to-cut-food-miles-or-does-it-make-no-difference/

** Haspel, T. (2014, September 2). Small vs. large: Which size farm is better for the planet? The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/small-vs-large-which-size-farm-is-better-for-the-planet/2014/08/29/ac2a3dc8-2e2d-11e4-994d-202962a9150c_story.html

Lusk, J. (2016, September 23). Why Industrial Farms Are Good for the Environment? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/25/opinion/sunday/why-industrial-farms-are-good-for-the-environment.html

*** Cederberg, C., & Werf, H. V. (2020, March 16). All the reasons why organic food doesn’t deserve such bad press. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237411-all-the-reasons-why-organic-food-doesnt-deserve-such-bad-press/

**** Le Page, M. (2016, November 30). Stop buying organic food if you really want to save the planet. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23231022-900-stop-buying-organic-food-if-you-really-want-to-save-the-planet/