Buying local food is often better for the planet than buying organic, since an organic potato from Peru takes so much more energy to ship than a nonorganic one from Idaho.
The Benefits of Buying Locally
- Ridin' the fresh train. Produce shipped from outside the country travels up to two weeks before it arrives in grocery stores.
- Giving local farmers a chance now. If you buy goods produced nearby, you'll keep more money in your community...and more farmland.
- Jumping back from energy waste. It takes 4-17 times less oil to produce local food compared to nonlocal.
- Getting off the bruise-control track. Food that has to travel long distances usually requires additional packaging and may have been genetically modified in order to survive the trip.
Wanna Try?
- Local Harvest - locate a farmers market or CSA near you.
- Sustainable Table - see what's in season in your area.
- 100 Mile Diet - feeling ambitious? Find out what it takes to eat only food produced within a 100-mi radius of your home.
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