Eat Local, Not Gas!

Organic foods have been popping up in markets throughout the United States, quickly becoming the food-fad of the decade. Organic foods promise the pesticide-free, wholesome goodness that nearly every person would love to ingest. Or do they? Could there possibly be something more environmentally-friendly, tasty, and supportive of local farms than organic foods? Local foods need less fuel to transport, are available to the consumer shortly after harvesting, and are bought from farms in the consumer’s own community. The importance of eating local has been embraced by both the suppliers and consumers, with commercial programs like that of Whole Foods and diets like the 100 Mile Diet.

The Union Square Greenmarket in New York City is a local food market, carrying only food produced within 170 miles of the market. When customers of Greenmarket were asked whether they prefer local or organic one woman stated, “I prefer to support local produce. It’s better for the environment because it uses less fuel.” When shopping for organic foods, it is common to find organics from California. For consumers on the East Coast, buying food from California is clearly a huge waste of gas and freshness. Using such large amounts of fuel to transport food cross-country is almost as silly as a person deciding to drive themselves all the way out to California, only eat that one food product. Also, imagine that person having to drive all the way back home before consuming the product. How fresh will it still be? Foods grown or raised locally can be consumed as early as the day they are produced and can even be picked by the consumer. Picking your own apples, pumpkins, and berries decreases the time spent between harvesting and consuming, and also allows the consumer to see where the food came from. According to the Department of Agriculture, farmers’ markets were so successful from 1994 to 2004 that the number of markets grew from 1,755 to 3,706. Obviously local markets are not only feasible, but they are also widely available.

Buying locally is also a large step in supporting farming communities. When Wal-mart added 1,000 more organic products to its stores in 2006 and reduced the organic premium from 50% to 10%, it decreased the number of small farms that could afford to grow organically. Smaller farms cannot afford to lower their prices while maintaining high standards for their organic agriculture. For the long term economy, it is important for small farms to be supported so that they will continue to be in business for years to come. A monopoly of large farms on the food marker would greatly decrease the standards those farms would need to meet to be beneficial to customers. There would no longer be competition between farms over which products are healthier and better tasting. Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, told The New York Times, “The drive to produce organic food cheaply will bring pressure to further weaken the regulations.” Another shopper of The Union Square Greenmarket said, “I look for things that are not ‘shallow organic,’ things not made in a mass-produced way. Large farmers are pushing the limits of organic, pricing out smaller organic farms.” Some people may not like local foods because they may not be “certified organic.” However, the price of organic certification may actually cost more than small organic farms can afford. Many local farms are organic, but cannot pay the cost to certify their foods. The Association of Family Farms has created guidelines for membership in the association and food seals. The regulations in the guidelines include providing safe working conditions for staff, protecting wildlife habitat, and reducing pesticide use and toxicity. It is clear that the community of the local food consumer benefits greatly from buying local foods, not just economically but also environmentally.

The practically of eating local foods has been embraced by both commercial enterprises and the consumer. Whole Foods provides a $10 million loan fund for small farmers and encourages individual store managers to do more business with local farmers. When our class took a trip to visit RPI’s Lighting Research Center, we were informed that Whole Foods has employed the LRC to create a system for conserving energy in its stores. The system involves using solar panels on the roof of a store to capture energy from the sun and using special sky-lights in the ceilings to enhance the natural light available to light the stores. Eating local foods, and the companies supporting local foods, encourages conservation of energy and the reduction of fossil fuel use. The 100 Mile Diet is the product of consumers working together to eat local foods. The basis of the diet is just as it sounds: only foods produced within 100 miles of the consumer are eaten. I originally learned about the 100 Mile Diet from a neighbor and family friend, who shared a couple insights into how the diet is feasible. The most important thing I learned from my neighbor was that foods that are not available during the winter can be preserved in a freezer during times where those foods are readily available. This method can combat every local food consumer’s fear of not having enough variety during the winter. The social acceptance of eating locally is still on the rise, and growing rapidly.
Yes, eating organic foods is better for the environment and the body than eating mass-produced “normal” foods. However, eating local foods is a much more environmentally clean and community-supportive way of eating. There is no better way to support your community than to purchase goods produced locally. When small farms are able to support themselves and thrive economically, a higher standard of healthy food production can be maintained. In conclusion, eating local foods is the healthier, superior way to dine.

Additional Information:
A very informative article on Local Foods vs. Organic Foods: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/116/local
13 Lucky Reasons to eat locally, by the 100 Mile Diet website:
http://100milediet.org/why-eat-local
More information on the Association of Family Farms:
http://www.familyfood.net/index.html
The RPI Lighting Research Center web page:
http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/index.asp
Where your local food markets are:
http://www.localharvest.org