By Cliff Walsh
I'm sure you've seen advertisements on TV or signs in the grocery story, highlighting the importance of buying foods from local farmers. It is a trend that I expect to continue. There are a variety of reasons buying local will persist, but there are certainly some things you need to be careful of. You can't just assume that your neighbor is better than someone else's just because they're closer. I will start with the benefits and then highlight potential negatives to consider.
First, it's likely that local food was picked more recently than produce coming from across the country or another country, meaning it's fresher and more nutritious. Local food will likely last longer and have more nutrients. Many produce items lose nutrients quickly. Frozen and canned food are often more nutritious than some products on the shelf at the supermarket, although most would consider the latter to be fresher.
The more money you spend on local produce and other businesses, the greater the positive impact it has on your community. Higher income levels mean more disposable income for your neighbors and surrounding area. This can only help increase the spending and investing that takes place close to home. Furthermore, tax receipts will increase as well, meaning more funding for schools, roads, and other important public spending areas.
Eating local produce, particularly if your community as a whole is focused on it, can help out greatly in emergencies. When disaster strikes, as it did with Hurricane Sandy in 2012, there can be significant issues in the supply chain. Many grocery aisles in the Northeast were bare with new deliveries days from arriving. This happened with gasoline as well. Although it is not a guarantee at all, eating local produce could help in times of need. To me, this is a bonus to all of the other positive benefits I already mentioned.
There are two important caveats to be aware of. The aforementioned benefits assume the local farms do not use genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which are basically seeds whose genes have been altered to add desired traits like drought resistance or insect repellant or to minimize the effects of negative traits. GMOs have never proven to be safe while the list of harms and risk factors seem to grow daily.
Chemical pesticide usage is also a key consideration when looking at local farms. All of the previously-listed benefits of buying local produce are worthless if your food is covered in carcinogenic chemicals. I recommend purchasing local products that are USDA certified organic. Some farmers don't have the bankroll to pay for the USDA process, though. With them, there is a greater trust level needed. If they say they use organic farming principles, you can contact the buyer from the grocery store and ask to confirm. A local farm with a long-term reputation would find it hard to keep up a charade like using pesticides while claiming to be organic, but corners can definitely be cut. Do your homework. You are what you eat.
I hope you consider locally-grown produce the next time you go food shopping. Just remember to make sure they are organic or non-GMO. Otherwise, you're wasting your money and hurting your health.
First, it's likely that local food was picked more recently than produce coming from across the country or another country, meaning it's fresher and more nutritious. Local food will likely last longer and have more nutrients. Many produce items lose nutrients quickly. Frozen and canned food are often more nutritious than some products on the shelf at the supermarket, although most would consider the latter to be fresher.
The more money you spend on local produce and other businesses, the greater the positive impact it has on your community. Higher income levels mean more disposable income for your neighbors and surrounding area. This can only help increase the spending and investing that takes place close to home. Furthermore, tax receipts will increase as well, meaning more funding for schools, roads, and other important public spending areas.
Eating local produce, particularly if your community as a whole is focused on it, can help out greatly in emergencies. When disaster strikes, as it did with Hurricane Sandy in 2012, there can be significant issues in the supply chain. Many grocery aisles in the Northeast were bare with new deliveries days from arriving. This happened with gasoline as well. Although it is not a guarantee at all, eating local produce could help in times of need. To me, this is a bonus to all of the other positive benefits I already mentioned.
There are two important caveats to be aware of. The aforementioned benefits assume the local farms do not use genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which are basically seeds whose genes have been altered to add desired traits like drought resistance or insect repellant or to minimize the effects of negative traits. GMOs have never proven to be safe while the list of harms and risk factors seem to grow daily.
Chemical pesticide usage is also a key consideration when looking at local farms. All of the previously-listed benefits of buying local produce are worthless if your food is covered in carcinogenic chemicals. I recommend purchasing local products that are USDA certified organic. Some farmers don't have the bankroll to pay for the USDA process, though. With them, there is a greater trust level needed. If they say they use organic farming principles, you can contact the buyer from the grocery store and ask to confirm. A local farm with a long-term reputation would find it hard to keep up a charade like using pesticides while claiming to be organic, but corners can definitely be cut. Do your homework. You are what you eat.
I hope you consider locally-grown produce the next time you go food shopping. Just remember to make sure they are organic or non-GMO. Otherwise, you're wasting your money and hurting your health.
About the Author:
Please see my website for more information dangers of food additives and preservatives or my blog at Natural claim on food label
0 commentaires:
Post a Comment