Case 16. Local Food is Better

The China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) has been an active promoter for local food. CBCGDF advocates consumers choosing local food so as to decrease pollution on the environment caused by food production, packaging and consumed energy. Professor Michael Pollan at the University of California, Berkeley estimates that there is only one-fifth of the energy consumed by food is from the farm, whereas the rest of them happens during processing and delivery. For that reason, CBCGDF urges the public to put more attention to the food milage if we do not intend to cause pollution, which is to choose the food without processing and produced nearby.

First, farmers who sell directly to local consumers do not need to give priority to packaging, transporting and shelf-life issues. Instead, farmers will ensure peak qualities of freshness, nutrition, and taste. Eating local also means eating seasonally, which is a practice in tune with Mother nature and well-being.

Second, “Local food is safer, too,” says the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD). Even when it’s not from organic farms, small farms tend to be less aggressive than large factory about watering their wares with chemicals. Small farms are also more likely to grow more diversely, protecting biodiversity and preserving a wider agricultural gene pool. And this is not only an important factor for reducing the utilization of chemicals and pesticides, but also for long-term food security.

Third, choosing locally grown food helps in the fight against global warming. Rich Pirog of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture reports that the average fresh food on our dinner table cost 1,500 miles to get there. Buying locally produced food eliminates the need for fuel-gobbling transportation.

Fourth, eat locally is helping the local economy. Farmers receive the full retail value by selling food to local customers, while they only gain little if there are middlemen. The rest goes for transportation, processing, packaging, refrigeration, and marketing. Eating locally encourages the use of local farmland for farming, thus preserving open space while developing.

By / Cathelina