Think about the last time you went to purchase food at a supermarket. How much did it cost you? Did the label say where the food was grown or produced? How far do you think the food had to travel and how long do you think it took the food to get to the shelf? What does the packaging look like and do you think preservatives had to be added? These are just a few questions to get you thinking about where the food you consume comes from and what goes into getting it there.
Over time the world has become increasingly interconnected through globalization, changing the ways people live and consume. You can now go to a supermarket and be purchasing food that has traveled over a thousand miles before reaching the shelf. Manufactured goods could have each ingredient sourced from a different country and be produced on the opposite side of the world before finally shipping them to where they will be sold. On the other hand, there are places like farmers markets that sell goods grown under a hundred miles away. Shopping at places like farmers markets where goods are sourced locally is better than supermarkets because it is more environmentally friendly and the food is more nutritious.
One of the biggest reasons to buy your food locally at farmers markets instead of supermarkets is for its environmental impact. Food travels much farther to get to the supermarket than it does to get to your local farmers market, having many negative effects on the environment. On average, food travels 1,500 milesto get to the supermarket while most farmers markets goods come from less than 50 miles away. The large distance and large scale transportation of food for supermarkets consumes very large amounts of fossil fuels. It has been estimated that for every 1 kcal of energy we get as food, we are putting almost 10 kcal of fossil fuel energy into our food system. Transporting these goods over such large distances generates large quantities of carbon dioxide emissions that are extremely harmful to our environment. Not only would consuming locally sourced goods help the environment by cutting down on harmful emissions, but it also promotes genetic diversity. The large commercial farms producing food for supermarkets grow a much smaller variety of hybrid fruits and vegetables. Smaller local farms, however, grow a much larger variety of fruits and vegetables, preserving genetic diversity. Overall, consuming goods sourced locally and sold at places like farmers market are better for the environment because it cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions and promotes genetic diversity.
Another reason to purchase your food at locally opposed to supermarkets is the nutritional value. Since most of the goods at supermarkets are imported over long distances, it takes time for them to arrive. On average, it takes six days for produce to be transported. As you can see in Figure 1below, the more miles a good has to travel the fewer nutrients are left by the time they arrive to the supermarket. Fresh produce specifically loses 45% of it’s nutritional value by the time it reaches the shelf. With this time comes hours in cold storage, time on the road, and handling. It also requires preservatives and other chemicals to keep the food somewhat fresh during transit. The way that most food is produced is also must different between smaller local farms and large-scale agricultural operations. Many local farms will choose to use organic and natural pest repellants to better preserve the food they distribute. On the other hand, the foods produced by the larger scale agricultural operations that are sent to supermarkets are often mass sprayed with pesticides. Overall, locally sourced food from places like farmers markets have more nutritional value than the food sold at supermarkets. The food’s nutritional value at supermarkets are impacted by their importation over larger distances, increasing the time to shelf and causing them to use preservatives, and are exposed to harmful pesticides and chemicals.
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| Figure 1 |
Other people may argue that shopping at supermarkets is cheaper or more accessible than buying locally sourced options at places like a farmers market. Since locally grown food sold at farmers markets do not have to face large shipping costs and do not require as much packaging or preserving, they are often the cheaper option. Farmers markets are also becoming increasingly more accessible to all. Farmers markets have the ability to accept food stamps from SNAP participants. They are also becoming more popular and available in places you might not expect like cities.
Overall, if you want to help the environment and eat more nutritious food, you should start purchasing local goods at places like farmers markets instead of supermarkets. Goods at supermarkets are shipped over thousands of miles over multiple days and are sprayed with harmful chemicals. While there are many different ways to lower carbon emissions or help the environment, this is one easy way that will also benefit you and your local agricultural economy. There are also many other ways to purchase local goods besides a farmers market like through food co-ops or even growing some yourself. So the next time you go to consume your food, ask yourself once again about where it came from and what it took to get to you. You might like your answers better.
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