The term local food refers to food that is grown within a small geographical area, often alongside a traditional, localized social structure and infrastructure, and different from that of the global supermarket system. It is a way of thinking about food because it has so much more to do with the local people’s relationship to land, food, community and home. People who live in small rural communities have traditionally been the primary producers of the food, but this has changed dramatically over the last few decades, with big-scale farming taking over many of the areas of natural agricultural production.
Today, most people are completely aware of the local food culture, and many people choose local foods and produce for their own consumption. Many see local farming as an important part of their lives, and many of those who grow and eat local food do so with a strong commitment to environmentalism. They don’t use pesticides, herbicides or antibiotics to protect their crops, and they try to avoid the spread of infectious diseases by washing their fruits and vegetables before eating them. In the process of growing and eating locally, these people take great pride in their gardens, and they try to promote local farming as much as possible.
There are many ways in which you can start supporting local food production. One way in particular is by buying organic produce. Organic means that the food has been grown without using pesticides and other chemicals, and without the use of any manmade aids such as fertilizers or hormones. This not only benefits the environment, but it also provides health benefits to humans. Foods grown organically are better for you in several ways, including reduced risk of serious food borne illness, reduced risk of disease due to soil pollution, and reduced risk of hormone enhanced food choices. Buying organic produce is not only good for the environment, it’s also good for your body, and you’ll enjoy better tasting foods and more nutritional variety in general.