There has been a broad movement in recent years among people seeking to support more local businesses and growers.
For those who have made it a point to shop local, there are a variety of reasons they make this a priority. In general, local produce and food is of higher quality, the money you spend stays in your local area and you can be sure of the freshness of the food items.
One of the more underrated benefits of buying food locally is that it helps the environment. Here are just a few of the ways it does so.
Buying local reduces food travel
The food you purchase when shopping local was produced within your local community. If you purchase food items at the grocery store, many of them will have traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles to get to your store.
For every food item purchased locally, it helps to cut down on the environmental impact of your food by reducing its travel impact (think fuel consumption or air pollution). The more people adopt local food shopping habits, the less environmental impact will be caused by food shipping.
Protecting local lands and animals
When you by local, you support the local farmers and producers who have greater ties to the land. Keeping these local farmers in business prevents their land from being sold to big developers, who are more likely to transform the land and cause significant environmental impact.
Improved freshness and organic growing methods
People who purchase locally grown produce get it fresh off the farm, when it has its highest level of nutrition. In addition, local growers tend to keep their products completely organic and free of pesticides and growth hormones. This doesn’t just mean you’re getting an unadulterated product—it also means the impact of the growth of the produce on the environment will be minimized.
Preventing harmful toxins from getting into the air and surrounding environment is crucial for environmental sustainability and for protecting our ecosystems.
Less food waste
When food goes directly from farm to table, there is significantly less waste. Many large grocery stores or retailers have to throw away a lot of food because it goes bad before someone purchases it. Supporting local growers allows them to continue to operate on a smaller scale to cut down on food waste and deliver products quickly and directly to customers.
Easy local access
Local farmers and growers often operate centrally within their communities at farmers markets or at their own independent stands. Consumers can easily access large areas with lots of different small growers and walk through the market to make their purchase. This results in a lower environmental impact than shipping products to a grocery store and having consumers drive to the store to get the items.
Want to know more about the benefits of shopping for produce and why you should buy your food locally? Contact Horner’s Midtown Market with any questions you have for our team, or just pay us a visit!