The Benefits of Eating Locally

The widespread recalls of spinach, peanut butter, turkey and cantaloupe in recent years are prompting more and more individuals to question where and how their food is grown, raised and harvested. There are some startling facts about the nation’s food consumption that have prompted a nationwide movement to eat locally produced food:

• Each food item in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1500 miles

• If every American ate just one meal a week composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we could reduce the nation’s oil consumption by more than 1.1 million barrels of oil every week

While the environmental impact of food consumption is certainly a good reason to think about changing your buying habits, it is not the only reason to eat locally. If you have ever eaten a tomato fresh from the vine, a succulent peach plucked from a tree or asparagus on the day it is harvested, you know that local food is fresher and tastes better than mass-produced food available at your local supermarket.

Just as importantly, there is less chance of contamination when buying local foods as there are fewer steps between your food's source and your table. Local food is also less likely to contain chemicals. Even if a local farm is not certified organic (and many are not due to the cost), small farms tend to be less aggressive with chemicals and often practice sustainable farming—a method of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals and does not harm the environment. 

Local farms also offer more variety than supermarkets.  How often do you eat tomatoes with names such as the Arkansas Traveler, Black Krim or Golden Egg?  Have you ever eaten Purple Majesty, Mountain Rose or Yellow Fin potatoes? In addition to being delicious and packed with nutrients, the crop variety produced by local farmers helps preserve a wide agricultural gene pool, which is an important factor in long-term food security. Shopping locally allows you to build and support your local economy and preserve green space and farmland. You benefit by knowing where your food comes from and being connected to the individuals who grow the crops, raise the animals, farm the honey and bake the bread.  There are many resources on buying food locally—from sites on food co-ops to farmer’s markets to lists of CSAs —community supported agriculture (which allow you to buy a share in a farmer’s crops and received produce weekly). Depending on where you live, like the less temperate Northeast, you may think that eating locally and seasonally is difficult, but this does not have to be the case.  There are many online resources for eating locally in any season.  A number of farmer’s markets are also staying open all winter long and there are many cookbooks that feature recipes based on the ingredients that are in season in your area.

On November 21, 2011, Nancy Stewart will have an article in the Boston Globe on a related topic. Check out her article for some additional insights from myself and other wellness experts. Thanks!

Additional resources: 

List of Massachusetts winter farmer’s markets

Finding the Food to Fill MyPlate

The MyPlate image, released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) this past summer, is the current gold standard for eating within the United States. The plate is divided into 5 categories by food group, including dairy, fruits, grains, vegetables, and protein. Although there was controversy following the plate’s release, from questions as to why animal protein is seen as equal to plant-based protein or why grains weren’t defined as “whole” versus “refined,” the overall message of the plate is clearly to encourage greater consumption of fruits and vegetables.

However, there is another pressing issue that was raised in response to this new standard: do we have enough food to make it a reality? In the United States, we produce 4 highly subsidized crops: corn, soy, wheat, and cotton. Unfortunately, I’m not referring to corn on the cob. These four crops are not made for human consumption, but instead for animal feed and processed foods. Fruits and vegetables on the other hand, are considered “specialty crops” and therefore are not subsidized by the U.S. government.

So, what do you suppose would happen if every American man, woman, and child adopted the MyPlate style of eating? You guessed it – experts cite that we won’t have the fruits and vegetables to feed everyone. While the messaging for a healthy diet is provided, the access is still a challenge.

This isn’t a new issue, in fact, it was the first comment made by many professionals in the field of nutrition upon the release of the MyPlate icon. But I bring this up now because of the unprecedented circumstances that we find ourselves in. For the first time, a Super Committee has been formed to determine how we can cut substantial funding from the national budget. A large portion of this is being targeted at the Farm Bill, the legislation that controls crop subsidies.
 

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently spoke on this very issue:
"Over the past 60 years, yields per acre of major crops -- corn, soy, wheat, and cotton -- have doubled, tripled, and in some cases even quadrupled. At the same time, livestock production and specialty crop production have become far more efficient. […] Congress must find ways to support research that is focused on crop production and protection, on livestock production and protection.”

While specialty crops may have become more efficient, they certainly have not “doubled, tripled or quadrupled” the way that subsidized crops have, mainly because there is no incentive to grow them. While Secretary Vilsack is correct, funding for research is needed, there must also be consideration for reducing subsidies for the foods we are looking to reduce, and increasing them for the foods we are looking to increase…namely whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Consider this – last year, the U.S. spent $5.97 billion on subsidies (for corn, soy, wheat and cotton, etc.) whereas the American Heart Association spent $724 million (’07-’08 figure) to promote heart health and prevention. If we spent as much money on preventing diseases of lifestyle caused by a highly processed diet, we might be headed in the right direction.