I was inspired to write this blog after recently leading cooking projects that had a “Local Food” theme. Currently, local food is a controversial topic. Therefore, my goal with this blog is to shed light on the issue and provide as holistic of a perspective as possible, not state my opinion.
Please note: Most of the information here is from a discussion board from a YVC project in August.
What is local food?
- Local food has a wide variety of meanings: generally, the most widely accepted definition is food grown within a 100 mile radius from where it’s bought.
What are the benefits?
- Food has to travel a shorter distance to get on the table, decreasing the pollutants that are released by trucks
- Builds community because you are conversing with the people who grow/produce your food rather than simply going to a supermarket
- Supports local business and economy
- Helps create jobs and revenue for locals
- Fresher produce
- Eating local means eating seasonally as well, which expands awareness on different foods indigenous to each region and season
What are the downsides?
- Many cities, Calgary for instance, have harsh climates that render year-long agriculture extremely difficult
- It is more convenient and accessible to have all your groceries at one supermarket
- The number of people working in agriculture is declining
- Grocery store food tends to be cheaper because more food can be produced in large commercial farms than in small local farms
- It can be difficult for to produce a variety of different foods locally; if you crave tropical fruits or spices, you won’t be able to get them in Calgary
- For all these reasons, combined with its loose definition, and it becomes clear why local food is hard to implement
Conclusion
- Local food is, in theory, an excellent idea. We get to reduce our impact on the environment, support locals, and eat the freshest and tastiest food available to us. But the reality of the situation is, with the onset of urbanization, and dense populations living in relatively small spaces, locally made food becomes a challenge to implement.
- It then becomes a problem of defining local foods: there will need to be new regulations and expectations set in place to promote and reinforce local foods.
- Therefore, in the foreseeable future, it seems reasonable that we should strive to balance our eating habits with both local and non-local. As a result, we will still support local businesses while not sacrificing convenience and variety.