Do you wonder if buying local really is better for your health, the environment, and your community? It is, but how might surprise you. Here are three ways that going local can change your health, your environment, and your community for the better.
New Habits Means Better Health
The key to personal improvement is behavior change. When you seek out local products you join a community that supports new habits. The farmers’ market, for example, is a place that exposes you to more fruits and vegetables and fewer packaged and processed foods. That framework sets you up for success by making healthier options the easier choice and by connecting you to others who are doing the same.
Less Packaging, Less Waste
The EPA has identified reducing food and packaging waste as an important part of environmental sustainability.1 Farmers’ markets and CSAs sell food unpackaged and in bulk, cutting down on waste materials. Many also offer ‘seconds’ which are produce with blemishes that would end up in the trash in the conventional supermarket system – think tomatos with slight bruises, or crooked carrots. They are perfectly edible, just not perfect looking, and at the farmers’ market you can get them for a discounted price.
Visibility Incentivizes Better Practices
Local operations can be visited by the consumer, and that builds trust. In fact, that is one of the main reasons that localism began. For example, the requirements to be certified organic have changed over time. These evolving requirements have lead some to question organic’s commitment to health and ecology.2 When your producers are close to home, you have the option to go and see for yourself if their practices live up to your expectations, and that fact incentivizes the local producer to deliver on their promises.