To Be or Not to Be....Local

Global warming, climate change, carbon foot prints, and sustainability are all buzzwords of the decade. Moving from a point of skepticism three years ago, the United States has now joined our more enlightened friends around the globe in understanding that a warming planet will impact us all and that we all have a role to plain in its healing. While much of our attention has been focused on CAFE standards, thermostats, moving off the grid, and alternative energy strategies, it's clear that there is no aspect of our lives that is left untouched. Our cheap clothes, furniture, household goods are made in Asia, and as wages increase in those economies, soon in Africa. But it is our food system that is perhaps the most astonishing, given the perishable nature of these commodities. It is not unusual for fresh food to travel thousands of kilometers from farm to table, using energy in gargantuan quantities and leaving us with both mediocre products and an unrealistic sense of the seasonality of the food we eat. Chilean fruit in winter is carried 8800 km, while lamb from New Zealand flies 12100 km to reach me. And my favorite French bubbly has come 7800 km to toast my friends.

So, is the solution to go 'local'? In many cases, I would argue, yes, local is good for a number of reasons. The quality of the food is better, healthier. It has a smaller carbon foot print. It supports small local farmers who often use organic or at least, less invasive agricultural techniques. It creates a relationship between food consumer, food grower, and seasons. But it isn't quite so simple as this. Food miles, the number of miles that food travels to table, is one measure of impact. However, there are good examples that show that we need to think a bit more subtly than a raw mileage. Tomatoes grown in Spain and trucked to the UK have a lower carbon footprint than those grown in the UK, because the UK requires greenhouses to cultivate and mature the plants.

Going 'local' also requires time and resources, one reason it's seen (outside of agricultural communities) as an elitist endeavor. It takes time to plan menus, find sources of food, and/or grow your own food. The reality is that some nights, I'm not going to be able to give up my bottled spaghetti sauce, since there are just not enough hours in a day. Fresh local food is often more expensive than grocery store alternatives. At a time when food prices are rising quickly and resources become scarce, I may have to pick and choose my battles in becoming 'local'.

Here at home, we're trying an experiment -- we are going to try to grow much if not all of our vegetables for this year, living local. We have about 150 sq ft. of garden space, plus raspberry and strawberry patches (brand new -- no fruit this year). We have planted peas, beans, radishes, lettuces, beets, onions, spinach, and carrots. Soon we will transplant cucumbers, zucchinis, tomatoes and peppers, as well as herbs. And we'll see how far it gets us. In the meantime, I'm going to explore the advantages and barriers to local eating, the impact of our current food system on our health and climate...