THE PROS AND CONS OF BUYING LOCAL PRODUCE

What exactly does local food mean? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to buying local food? This article aims to answer that question.

Nowadays everyone is preoccupied with buying organic local food which seems to be healthier than imported foods. Most people say that local food is food which is produced close to home, in your town or country.

Buying local food is a way to support local farmers because if there are no consumers they won’t be any farmers left. It also brings consumers and farmers close to each other.

For instance, at some farmer’s markets where they sell their own produce, consumers have a chance to discover where their food comes from.

Furthermore local food is usually grown with normal seeds without using chemicals. Local food is fresh, healthy, organic and tastes good.

However local food is seasonal so we cannot have whatever we want, when we want it. People depend on farmers, the needs of consumers are sometimes not satisfied due to restrictions caused by local farming (such as seasonal crops).

For example, why should we wait for cherry season if we can import it from another country? Just because we have to protect local farmers and give up our whims?! That is unfair…

The lack of imported food can make local farmers less competitive because there are alone in the market, they decide to produce what they feel is good for consumers and not what consumers demand from the market. Therefore local food is expensive most the time.

I am convinced that buying local food is a good thing for us but imported food is also necessary because local farmers cannot satisfy consumers needs all year round.