Queen's Greens

why buy local?

 

A growing number of consumers are beginning to question the origins of their food. The local food movement is bringing to light the importance of buying local. In the previous decades, larger food producers have begun to use whatever means necessary to lower costs, while consumers pay the price. In the United States, food travels an average of 1,500 miles from field to plate. The local food movement encourages patronage of farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture farms, farm-to-table restaurants, and food cooperatives that allow consumers to make conscious decisions about their food sources. The proponents of the local food movement, locavores, argue that environmental and economic factors should influence consumers’ choices despite critics’ claims that these factors have been exaggerated. Locally sourced food should be consumer’s first choice as it has a small environmental footprint, is usually healthier and fresher than imported food, creates a sense of community in a way that also supports Charlotte’s local economy.