4 ways to eat seasonally
As a society, we no longer eat seasonally. Why?
Why you should shop locally
Are you a locavore?
Locavores are people who try to choose shop local for food grown nearby that is in season.
There are many definitions of ‘local food’, but the concept is based primarily on distance. Some locavores may even adopt the 100-mile diet -only eating food produced within a 100 mile radius of home.
There are many benefits of eating a local diet that’s grown nearby, including:
Economy
It’s no surprise that spending money with local growers adds direct fuel to the local economy; those growers buy supplies and pay bills locally. When you shop local, you support the growth of local jobs, stronger communities, and ultimately keep people and your economy working.
Social Impact
One of the most satisfying parts of buying locally-grown food is knowing that you’re contributing to your community. Ultimately, the people who are responsible for bringing local food to our tables are innovators, entrepreneurs, parents and family members.
For every $100 spent with a BC local business, $63 is re-circulated into our BC economy (versus $14 for multinational corporations).
Source: Buy BC
Environmental
By shopping locally for food you are purchasing goods produced in your community. Local food doesn’t create large carbon footprints through overseas plane travel or long truck trips. This means fuel consumption and air pollution are minimized. Conversely, when you shop at the grocery store, many of the food items you buy travel over thousands of miles to reach your plate.
Nationwide chains may employ community members and pay local taxes, however only about 15% of the revenue they earn stays in the area. In comparison, 45% of revenue earned by small, locally-owned businesses stays in the community.
Health
Eating locally-grown food can help deliver a high nutrient content. This is for a number of reasons, which includes the lack of chemicals used to grow the food, as well as greater freshness.
For further reading about the impact of shopping locally for your food, visit: https://www.locobc.ca/cpages/resources
