Last week we talked about what it means to buy and eat local. Now we will look at the reasons why you would/should buy local. There are various websites and articles on this subject and we’ve combined these into what we think are the top three:

1. Economic: Several studies have shown that when you buy from independent, locally owned businesses, rather than nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, for example, service providers and supply shops. This will continue to strengthen the economic base of the community beyond your initial purchase. It also benefits the farmer far greater than going through a third person and creates more local jobs, thus investing long term in the community.
2. Health and nutrition: There are obvious benefits to being able to see where your food is being grown and having the ability to ask the grower questions but there are benefits to your health that you may not have thought of. A factory farm can generate vast amounts of waste, which can leach into the ground water and put residents at risk of exposure to infectious and potentially deadly bacteria such as E coli. They can also create air pollution which can affect the surrounding residents. Factory farms have also been known to produce food which may contain bacteria, pesticides, antibiotic residue and artificial hormones.
3. Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and will tend to set up shops in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

Make sure you check the blog next week to find out how you can take part in the eating local challenge!