Authored by Jennifer Kret, UMN Public Health Nutrition
Why eat local? If you ask any devout “locavore” or “localtarian” they will tell you, among other reasons, locally grown produce is simply fresher and tastes better. The importance of eating locally produced foods is eloquently put in the Japanese interpretation of “food with a face,” and by teikkai, a word which means the provenance of a food–where it comes from, how it was raised, and who grew it. Eating local celebrates those “faces” who provide the bounty on our tables: farmers, ranchers, fishers, vintners, and foragers. Eating local is also about keeping in touch with the seasons. While food at the grocery store may look abundant and even beautiful, its origins are usually a mystery to us, keeping us disconnected from them. Additionally, supermarkets confuse the issue of seasonality by making imported produce available year round. Of course, food safety scares boost the consumer desire for greater transparency in the food system and for closer relationships with the numerous people responsible for every step on our food’s path. Hence, it is becoming more common to find local products in mainstream grocery stores because the consumer demand is growing. Connecting to our foods directly enriches our lives and appreciation for what we eat. This is why we eat local food.
