Eating local food is believed to be healthier, tastier and more nutritious than the food transported from distant places. During my supermarket visits, I’m tempted to buy colourful vegetables and fruits that are not grown locally. Everybody wants a change and such food items look bright and inviting; as if saying,”Come, pick me up!”;)
It’s okay to have these fruits and vegetables once in a while but local food is the best for everyday consumption.
They have committees, researchers, proven results to show that local food is better than the food imported from distant places.
What exactly is Local Food?
Local Food is the food that’s grown, manufactured or produced within a 100-mile radius of the consumer’s home. People who choose locally produced food for consumption are called Locavores. The popular ‘100-mile diet‘ has the same basis; that is buying and eating food that’s produced withing 100-mile radius of one’s place.
Benefits
Here are some benefits listed to get an idea of how effective local food can be!
1) Fresh and Nutritious
Food grown around the place you live is of superior quality and undoubtedly, fresh. I mean, the chances of getting good quality food produced near home are better than the food from distant places. This home-food is likely to be more nutritious than that imported.
Prefer buying local produce and stay healthy.
••• Food such as broccoli, green beans, kale, red peppers, tomatoes, apricots and peaches are susceptible to nutrient loss when harvested and transported from longer distances, while those that are heartier such as apples, oranges, grapefruit and carrots keep their nutrients even if they travel long distances.
2) Good For Environment
You cut down on carbon footprints by purchasing local goods. Locally produced food doesn’t have to travel thousands of kilometres to reach you. More fuel means more pollution that increases unhealthy gases in the environment. Simply eat local to minimize the extent of dangers we are facing today.
3) Supports Local Farmers
By eating locally grown food, we are indirectly supporting local farmers. It means prosperity and happiness will prevail around you. With more demand, farms will be updated with the latest technology to handle the supply.
4) Supports Local Economy
As local farms flourish because of the better market, the economy is bound to expand.
Money spent in the local market stays in the local market resulting in booming the economy.
5) Less Wastage of Food
Since distance travelled by food is small, less food is wasted in distribution, warehousing and merchandising. Spoilage is limited and can be controlled.
This way, you are helping humanity by saving food. At the same time, the good quality of the food can be assured.
6) Taste Better, New Flavours
Now that you have limited yourself to eat local food, explore new flavours that are waiting to surprise you. Good, nutritious food is found near you and you are searching for it around the world.
Discover the new foods you’ve never tasted. Yes, you’ll find it in tune with nature.
7) Encourages Sustainable Agriculture
Sticking to the Local food implies encouraging sustainable agriculture, and facilitating tracking the supply chain back to the point of origin to evaluate ecological practices. This enhances economic growth, environmental protection and social health.
8) Less Travelling
This is another benefit of eating local. Easily available local food can be obtained from local markets easily with the guarantee of freshness and purity. Products from far off places are brought by some means of transportation with a little assurance of freshness and purity.
9) Good for Soil
When people start buying more local produce, farmers will grow diverse crops making the soil more fertile. When the same crop is grown over a large area for a long duration of time, the quality of soil deteriorates.
10) Connected Communities
Giving importance to local produce can boost community interactions, thereby connecting people through market transactions.
Such markets are buzzing hubs of a community. People interact on a regular basis and stronger bonds are developed.
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Local Food takes lesser time to reach your plate from the farm, it’s healthier and tastier. Instead of hitting the supermarket, visit the local market to buy local fruits, vegetables and other products. Support and promote your neighbourhood. A definite route to celebrating health and safety!
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PANORAMIC RIPPLES 
I always prefer buying my vegetable from local market. This was quite an insightful post.
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Good 👍
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go local for food is good for health and environment
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True
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Loved this article… so sensible and yet helpful at so many levels, including the local areas where we live individually
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Thank you!
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I totally agree to this principle. However making it happen doesn’t seem to be in our hands. the local grocer sources veggies from the wholesale APMC market which again sources them from all over India. So in fact, one has no clue about where the veggie on our table was grown. However recently, we have some farmers coming to neighbourhoods in mini tempos and directly selling their daily produce. THIS is really good! Loved your bllog and happy to find a lot of interesting topics you’ve covered.
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Thank you:)
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Nice, detailed article on Local Food. Never had i put so much thought into buying the local food. You spelled it out so well in your post. I am sure we can do our bit to encourage Local Food.
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Thanks
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Sorry, I was not in touch with articles recently. Just read this. Great one as usual. I have a doubt though. What of health for people who moves to different place? Like, an Indian in Ireland for example? Will they benefit from eating what they were used to or by eating what grows locally at new destination? Somehow I can’t come to a truce between these both 😛
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Thanks for reading. As far as what I have understood, the food grown within 100 miles of your local area is the best. For you, food from India won’t be a good choice 😄
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I got that from your article. New thing that I am asking is, a body, that was grown under certain conditions, just like the 100mile concept you said on veg/fruits, when goes away from its locality, how will it cope with new “local” food? Am I clear? I want you to find this and add to your article. Your article is best for those, who wanna try multi country’s verities, staying in their local place. But the add-on helps those on other side of the same logic. ☺️
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Good point. Thanks:)
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I’m more of local and organic food. We strictly buy from the local farmers here in Sindhudurg who are always transparent about farming unlike few of them who only make money by selling pesticides sprayed veggies or produce.
#MyFriendAlexa #vigorousreads
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Good for all:)
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I am a huge local grown, local market and seasonal eats fan. Prefer buying vegetables from local venders who come once in week from farms with the freshest of exploits. Seasonal as, I believe our body gets wide array of nutrients from seasonal food.
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True. Thanks for reading:)
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This is very insightful. Thanks for sharing. #MyFriendAlexa #CloudandSunshineReads
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Glad you liked it:)
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Great article – I like to buy from the local Farmers markets as you get a chance to meet the farmers and get a better idea of their practices – very transparent
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Thank you:)
Yes, local products are more transparent.
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I loved this post because it makes sense, you know. It might be difficult to implement some of the points but not impossible.
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Thanks 😊
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