Marketing has made it very clear that eating organic is healthier and more eco-friendly, but the importance of local foods has yet to take the mainstream spotlight. There are no standards for local food, nor is there a legal definition or fancy labels like organic and fair-trade have been receiving. However, buying local products makes a very positive impact on the environment (and often times your health too).
Eating locally does not mean dining at a nearby restaurant - it means consuming food that was grown close to your home. Though there is no official definition that states the distance a product can travel to be considered local, most agree that it should be within a 100 mile radius. However, the majority of food consumed in the United States travels thousands of miles to get to our tables, which arrives by trucks, ships, and/or planes.
Local food is easier to find in some parts of the countries than others - warm climates, like California for example, grow all types of food year round and thus they are available to residents practically all the time. However, residents in a colder areas will have a hard time finding foods that require warmth and grow close to them. Unfortunately, most people have been spoiled because their favorite grocery stores offer all types of food regardless of the season or climate, and few are aware of where they came from. Bananas for example grow in very specific parts of the world, yet they can be found almost everywhere at anytime.
Eating locally makes a difference for the planet because:
- less distance equals less transportation equals less emissions
- supports local businesses
- better for local economy
- if you buy products from farmers markets they will usually have little or no packaging
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