Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/How to eat local

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Globalization, industrial food production, waste management, energy efficiency, and nutrition.

While many stress the importance of eating 'organic' food, not that much emphasis has been placed on eating 'local' food. Here we explain the importance of eating local, plus some ideas on how we can foster an 'all-local' diet.

'Organic' is just a label. Some fruits and vegetables can be labeled 'organic', yet they are still grown in conventional, monocultural methods with certain amounts of spraying. Some processed foods can be labeled 'organic' yet still contain lots of sugar, margarine or other harmful ingredients. In this article we stress the importance of eating local and becoming aware of where food comes from.

• More sustainable.
• Eating local reduces our carbon footprint.
• Less energy is wasted on transporting the food.
• Also, native plants are ecologically more compatible with the local climatic conditions, therefore they require much less resources to grow.
• Diversity: monocultural, industrial agriculture damages the natural local biological diversity.
• Health: eating fresh, native plants in their season is healthiest, as you can be sure the food hasn't been sitting for days or weeks in fridges and on planes.
• Strengthen's the local economy: become less dependent upon external sources for food.
• Eating local promotes local food security.

• Foraging wild edible plants (see separate solution under that name).
• Food Cooperatives.
• Community Gardens.
• Farmers' Markets or 'regular' markets.
• Buy directly from your local farmer.
• Grow as much of your own food as possible (in your yard, roof, pots).
• Shop in the local businesses rather than big chains.

• Health & Healing.

• Seeds, Food & Soil.
• Water Cycles.

• Sharing & Collaboration.