Why Does Local Food Taste Better?
The difference you taste in local food is the difference your purchase makes in your local economy. Here is why locally sourced food not only tastes better, but is better for our communities.
Local food is fresher; Produce that is transported over long distances is harvested early to avoid overripening during travel. Because of its shorter farm-to-table journey, locally-grown food can be picked at peak ripeness and served fresh.
These foods are also more nutritious. Locally grown and sourced goods better preserve their vitamins and antioxidants when they spend less time in delivery trucks, planes, or warehouses. A study from the International Journey of Food Science and Nutrition found that locally-sourced, in-season broccoli had double the amount of vitamin C than its out-of-season counterpart purchased from a chain supermarket.
Diet-related diseases have also become the leading causes of death in the United States, disproportionately impacting low-income communities and people of color. Prioritizing the growth of local and regional farmers, restaurants, and food markets not only gives us access to healthy, fresh food, but also keeps money local while providing more jobs, opportunities, and a stronger sense of community. A 2010 study by USDA’s Economic Research Service found that the revenue per unit for producers selling locally can be up to 649 percent higher than its mainstream supermarket counterpart. The study also found that nearly all of the income earned in the local markets was retained in the local economy.
Next time you shop for food, look for a local option first to support your community’s farmers, small business owners, and restaurateurs.
Sources:
5 Reasons To Eat Locally-Grown Food, Double Up Food Bucks Michigan, July 2022
Is Locally Sourced Really Better?, Darlene Murphy, Forage Kitchen, December 2024
Nutritional quality of organic, conventional, and seasonally grown broccoli using vitamin C as a marker, International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass, USDA Economic Research Service
Comparing the Structure, Size, and Performance of Local and Mainstream Food Supply Chains, Robert P. King, USDA Economic Research Service, June 2010
