Benefits Of Buying Local !NEW!
The farm-to-fork movement first took root in California, when Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in 1971. Driven by a desire to bring a more sustainable ethos back into the food system, Waters began advocating for the deliberate sourcing of local foods. In 1986, Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food Organisation in Italy, formalising ideas around choosing local, sustainable agriculture and bringing them back to the European table.
benefits of buying local
Today, the concept of farm-to-fork (or farm-to-table) eating continues to gain traction, with many younger adults considerably more aware of where their food comes from than preceding generations. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, 38% of adults say the availability of locally sourced food would make them more likely to choose one restaurant over another; 20% of adults responded similarly about locally sourced beer, wine and spirits. This sentiment was most common among Millennial and Gen Z consumers.
Choosing to source your ingredients from local suppliers helps to support your local and national economies. By supporting local trade, you are helping to nurture small businesses, boost employment rates and strengthen communities. With multiple studies showing that a bigger chunk of money spent locally stays local, your decision will ultimately ensure that your future customers have more money to spend.
Buying locally can cut costs. The cost of transport itself is vastly reduced when food has little distance to travel. Furthermore, food travelling shorter distances has less opportunity to spoil or be damaged, minimising food waste and associated costs.
Finally, choosing to buy from local producers encourages a greater understanding of where food comes from, amongst both staff and customers. While this may not be of immediate or direct benefit to your business, fostering and maintaining this understanding will help to create a better, more sustainable food system for future generations.
Buying local is touted as the best way to be environmentally friendly while supporting local communities at the same time. By purchasing food and other goods that are produced locally, consumers help stimulate their regional economy, help create and retain valuable jobs, supports families and strengthen community and culture. Understanding the strengths, limitations and potential pitfalls of local consumption is key to making the most of the trend.
Purchasing locally also means that you know a bit more about quality control; you know that certain goods have been produced in a way that meets stringent regional and national standards. When purchasing goods from out of the country it can be difficult to know the manufacturing processes and potentially harmful chemicals and byproducts involved.
Further, sourcing locally reduces the transportation costs associated with your goods. Certainly it takes less gas, and thus puts fewer greenhouse emissions into the air, to drive a bushel of apples from town to town than across the nation or globe. Local items are also more likely to be fresh compared to items that are transported long distances.
For businesses wondering where to start, there are several networking platforms that make buying and selling locally easy. Online marketplaces such as Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are great places to find new and used goods (extra green points for buying second hand!). With over 9 million members around the world, The Freecycle Network is a source for getting and giving free, secondhand items. At no cost, simply type in your city in the search bar to find Freecycle groups in your area and a list of offered and wanted items.
Nextdoor, a platform that connects you with residents and businesses within your zip code, is an effective way to engage with neighbors and stay up to date on local deals. In addition to a personal account, Nextdoor also provides a business profile option for you to promote your goods and services.
It might be surprising to read, but buying local does actually have some possible disadvantages. First it is important to understand that just because something is locally produced does not mean that it is environmentally friendly. If supplies or equipment have to be shipped in to create the product, then that can offset any benefit of creating or growing the product locally.
Energy and efficiency can be concerns as well, leading to more disadvantages to local business. Specifically, some areas of the country have more developed alternative energy sources, such as wind power and solar power. Local farms and manufacturers cannot always take advantage of this green energy, but other producers may be able to, thus making their products more green. Additionally, larger operations with bigger budgets can function more effectively, adding to their greenness over small, local farms.
Buying locally can be a great way to encourage small business and promote economic growth in our own communities. However, buying locally is not always the perfect solution; it is not even always the greenest solution. Think responsibly before you make the decision!
With ongoing concerns over climate change and how its long-term impact could alter life as we know it, there is no doubt that the global economy will change as well. The recent COVID-19 outbreak is a prime example of how a global crisis can shape market conditions and consumer buying habits (remember panic buying?) The imperative question is: Can buying locally save small businesses during such times of economic flux? To answer this, it is necessary to understand how a crisis shapes the business landscape and what this could mean for you and your stakeholders. Find out how your business can become more resilient in a complicated economic environment here.
Buying fresh and local produce for your food and beverage operations will be the main focus of this article, but there are plenty of other ways you can approach purchasing with your local economy in mind. Cleaning products, pro shop apparel, and kitchenware can all be sourced from local suppliers in your effort to be a boon rather than a burden on your community.
Thanksgiving is coming up, which is an important American holiday that focuses on food, giving thanks, food, gratitude, food, and, of course, food. As we think about how grateful we are, we should also wonder where that turkey came from this year, and who grew the corn. Buying locally and seasonally are two ideas that go hand in hand when it comes to Thanksgiving, even if they are slightly different in practice.
Buying locally is the process of buying food, focused on fruits, vegetables, and other farmed goods, that are grown and produced close to home. Locally grown food looks and tastes better because they are coming directly from the farm to you, rather than traveling across the country (or multiple countries) to get to your table. They are less likely to have preservatives and more likely to keep their nutritional value better than your average grocery store foods.
Buying local also offers a better customer experience. Local markets are often fun environments, full of friendly people, live music, free samples and activities. While buying from a chain grocery store is an impersonal and, frankly, rather boring activity, buying from local retailers can be exciting and fun.
Buying local meat, produce and other food products can help you eat healthier, stay informed and save money. It also has larger impacts on those around you, benefiting the local economy and environment. Each time you support local food producers and sellers, you help build a healthier local economy, stronger community and more sustainable environment.
Supporting small businesses also gives you a chance to get to know your neighbors, and those connections may come in handy down the road. Local commerce is a fantastic way to network with others in your community and foster appreciation for the local industry and culture.
Local food is food that is grown within a geographical region that is considered local to your specific area. This can be food grown in your city, neighbourhood, or home! There are various health and economic benefits of buying locally grown food. For instance, it promotes food safety and supports the local economy, but have you ever wondered how buying local could benefit the environment?
Protects Local Land: Buying local food can help protect local land and wildlife. When we purchase local products, we support our local farmers and help them successfully operate their business. When this happens and farmers are compensated well for their products, they are less likely to sell their land, which would often be redeveloped for industrial or commercial use. These uses would release significantly more greenhouse gas emissions than farming does and would further eliminate habitats for the wildlife living on the local area.
Creates Fresh Produce: By purchasing and eating locally, consumers are able to appreciate produce that is fresh and healthy. Many local farmers tend to keep their products organic, preservative free, and pesticide free. This is not only advantageous for the health of consumers, but is beneficial for the environment as well. By not using pesticides and other harmful toxins, farmers are improving air quality and preventing water and air pollution. Furthermore, since the food is local and is directly given to supermarkets, there is often less waste. For instance, many imported goods often go bad before they are purchased, producing lots of waste. By buying local, this is avoided and food waste is significantly less.
At UW Food Services we support over 75 local farmers and aim to provide as much local and fresh produce as we can! Our residences and some of our food units on campus can be your starting place when it comes to eating locally sourced food.
Consumers are faced with decisions to purchase goods and services from national chains or locally owned businesses every day. Cost, convenience, and variety often inform us in these decisions. And while we have heard of the intangible benefits of buying local, how do we quantify the specific economic benefits to our communities when we decide to keep our money close to home? 041b061a72