I'm sure you've seen advertisements on TV or signs in the grocery story, highlighting the importance of buying foods from local farmers. It is a trend that I expect to continue. There are a variety of reasons buying local will persist, but there are certainly some things you need to be careful of. You can't just assume that your neighbor is better than someone else's just because they're closer. I will start with the benefits and then highlight potential negatives to consider.
In terms of benefits, local farms typically spend less time in transit, meaning the food is fresher and has more nutrients. Because of this, local foods have higher amounts of vitamins and minerals while lasting longer. Unfortunately, unadulterated produce items can lose nutrient content rather fast. If produce is frozen or canned quickly after harvest, they can often be higher in nutrient value than products in the produce aisle that have traveled a great distance, despite a general assumption that these foods carry greater freshness.
You also support your neighbors and local economy while helping to reduce transportation costs and the fossil fuel impact on the environment. All else equal, why not spend your money in your own area? Your community will benefit from the trickle-down multiplier effect. The more local dollars that circulate through local businesses, the more disposable income is created. Furthermore, it means more taxes collected and spent in your community on schools, roads, and other public goods.
Local foods can also protect you when disaster strikes. Hurricane Sandy, which hit the Northeast in the fall of 2012, created massive disruptions to supply chains. The most hurtful were the delays in getting food and gasoline to local communities. The more you rely on long-distance goods, the greater the risk when disaster strikes. Consider eating locally-grown foods (and locally produced goods and services) as part of an emergency survival plan. It doesn't work though if you wait until the event happens to make the change. It's too late at that point.
Local produce can have negatives, though, that must be considered. If a farmer uses genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), all bets are off and the previously-mentioned benefits are negated. These types of crops should be avoided. Research suggests there are significant negative effects of continually ingesting them. I have also never seen an independent report that supports the use of GMOs.
The second area to be careful of is pesticide usage. Buying local does little for you if the food you are buying was doused in cancer-causing chemicals. I highly recommend purchasing only from organic farms. They don't necessarily have to be USDA certified, but it helps, particularly if you don't have a relationship and established trust with the farm.
I hope you consider locally-grown produce the next time you go food shopping. Just remember to make sure they are organic or non-GMO. Otherwise, you're wasting your money and hurting your health.
In terms of benefits, local farms typically spend less time in transit, meaning the food is fresher and has more nutrients. Because of this, local foods have higher amounts of vitamins and minerals while lasting longer. Unfortunately, unadulterated produce items can lose nutrient content rather fast. If produce is frozen or canned quickly after harvest, they can often be higher in nutrient value than products in the produce aisle that have traveled a great distance, despite a general assumption that these foods carry greater freshness.
You also support your neighbors and local economy while helping to reduce transportation costs and the fossil fuel impact on the environment. All else equal, why not spend your money in your own area? Your community will benefit from the trickle-down multiplier effect. The more local dollars that circulate through local businesses, the more disposable income is created. Furthermore, it means more taxes collected and spent in your community on schools, roads, and other public goods.
Local foods can also protect you when disaster strikes. Hurricane Sandy, which hit the Northeast in the fall of 2012, created massive disruptions to supply chains. The most hurtful were the delays in getting food and gasoline to local communities. The more you rely on long-distance goods, the greater the risk when disaster strikes. Consider eating locally-grown foods (and locally produced goods and services) as part of an emergency survival plan. It doesn't work though if you wait until the event happens to make the change. It's too late at that point.
Local produce can have negatives, though, that must be considered. If a farmer uses genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), all bets are off and the previously-mentioned benefits are negated. These types of crops should be avoided. Research suggests there are significant negative effects of continually ingesting them. I have also never seen an independent report that supports the use of GMOs.
The second area to be careful of is pesticide usage. Buying local does little for you if the food you are buying was doused in cancer-causing chemicals. I highly recommend purchasing only from organic farms. They don't necessarily have to be USDA certified, but it helps, particularly if you don't have a relationship and established trust with the farm.
I hope you consider locally-grown produce the next time you go food shopping. Just remember to make sure they are organic or non-GMO. Otherwise, you're wasting your money and hurting your health.
About the Author:
Please see my website for more information dangers of food additives and preservatives or my blog at FDA food label guidelines
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