Eating Locally Vs Sourcing Globally

There seems to be a brewing battle between locavores and conventional food producers. Locavores are individuals that buy their seasonal produce, beef, and fish from local producers.  Locavores like to purchase locally grown foodstuffs to within a 300 miles radius of where they live.  Conventional producers source their food from all parts of the world.  The issues that separate both groups revolve around market efficiencies, carbon footprint, and taste.  Locavores insist that all items taste better when purchased from growers that are closer to where they live.  They feel that they are reducing their carbon footprint by buying foodstuffs that have a shorter distance to travel.  There also is a feeling that they are supporting local farmers, even if it costs more to buy because of the lack of market efficiencies.  Locavores support farmers markets, and local food co-ops that deliver seasonal items to their home, or pick up points.  The large producers feel that they are more efficient, and provide a greater variety of items for your table than a local producer can.  Personally, I’m in the locavore camp.  I grow my own vegetables and I know that they taste better.  I also feel that they offer a higher nutritional value than buying something that traveled 2,000 miles.  My tomatoes taste better than the store bought ones hands down.  I personally feel that my carbon footprint is lower by buying local.  But, the difference for most of us is philosophical and time.  Time to procure our daily groceries and do we believe that local is better than store bought.  We all have our own preferences.  But, if by chance you’re thinking of siding with locavores, here are a few points that can help you lower your impact and improve the way your food tastes:

•Eat less meat — especially grain-fed red meat,  which is one of the most energy-intensive foods in the world.

•Eat local, seasonal and sustainable produce, as it requires the fewest energy inputs and leaves the lightest footprint on the environment.

•Sign up for regular deliveries of seasonal produce from a nearby farm.

•Use an efficient refrigerator and stove, as household preparation and storage can account for 28 percent of your “food footprint.”

Take green transportation to the market or buy a week’s worth of groceries in one car trip.