Week 3: The Local Food Movement

The Local Food (or Slow Food) Movement is one of the fastest growing ethical diets today. It's no wonder that "locavore" was named the word of the year in 2007. The term, coined in 2005 by a group of women in San Francisco, describes a person who eats only food that is produced within a 100-mile radius of where he or she lives. However, according to the Eat Local Challenge website, people can choose what local means to them - be it a 100-mile radius or simply their state's borders. For my diet this week, I am going to try to limit myself to eating food that was grown and produced within a 200-mile radius of where I live.

Like organic foods, local food is believed to be more environmentally-friendly. With fewer "food miles" to travel and less handling needed, locally-grown food presents a more simplified food network where consumers are more connected (or less disconnected?) from the food they are eating. Eating locally also generates money for the local economy. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction.

Local food is fresher and seasonally-organized. It also allows farmers to grow smaller, more diverse crops instead of focusing all their resources to producing one crop that is shipped across the nation to be stocked in large supermarkets. I plan to rely heavily on food from farmers markets during this week in order to stay local.