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EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear
EarthTalk: I know that local food has health and environmental
benefits, but my local grocer only carries a few items. Is there
a push for bigger supermarkets to carry locally produced food?
--
Maria Fine, Somerville, MA
By
eating locally sourced foods, we strengthen the bond between local
farmers and our communities, stay connected to the seasons in
our part of the world, promote crop diversity, and minimize the
energy intensive, greenhouse-gas-emitting transportation of food
from one part of the world to another. Also, since local crops
are usually harvested at their peak of freshness and typically
delivered to stores within a day, customers can be sure they are
getting the tastiest and most nutritious forms of the foods they
like.
Luckily
for consumers and the environment, local produce and other foods
are now more widely available than they have been for decades.
The first national grocery chain to prioritize local producers,
perhaps not surprisingly, was natural foods retailer Whole Foods,
which was buying from local farmers and ranchers since it opened
its first store in 1980 in Austin, Texas. Today each of the company's
270-plus stores in 38 U.S. states prioritizes local sourcing-so
much so that its customers take it for granted. Whole Foods' relationships
and distribution arrangements with local producers serve as models
for the leading national grocery chains, many of which are beginning
to source some produce locally when the season is right.
Some
are taking more initiative than others. Perhaps most notable is
Walmart. Back in 2008 the company committed to sourcing more local
fruits and vegetables to keep produce prices down and provide
affordable, fresh and healthy choices. Today more than 2,800 Walmart
Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets across the country rely
on a diverse network of small local growers to provide produce-making
Sam Walton's company the nation's largest purchaser of local produce.
During summer months, at least one-fifth of the produce available
in Walmart stores is grown within the same state as the given
store.
The
company's Heritage Agriculture program encourages farms within
a day's drive of one of its warehouses to grow crops that the
company would otherwise have to source from so far away that freshness
would be jeopardized and the fuel burned and greenhouse gases
emitted in the process would be substantial. While the Heritage
program currently accounts for only four to six percent of the
company's total domestic produce sales, the company is aiming
for 20 percent within the next few years.
Other
big grocery chains aren't far behind. Safeway, one of the top
three grocery chains in the country, prides themselves on local
sourcing, getting nearly a third of its produce nationwide from
local/regional growers. In heavy agricultural regions like California,
the figure can be as high as 45 percent. The company has also
made a big push into organic products, just like its biggest competitor,
Walmart.
If
the chain grocer near you doesn't do a good job stocking locally
sourced food, there are alternatives. Community Supported Agriculture
programs, in which consumers "subscribe" to the produce
of a given farm by paying monthly dues that entitles them to a
box of fresh produce every week, are more popular than ever, as
are local farmers' markets, food co-ops and independent natural
foods markets. To find local food near you, visit the Local Harvest,
which lists organic food sources by zip code and offers a wealth
of resources for those looking to learn more about where their
food comes from and how it is produced.
CONTACTS:
Whole Foods,
Walmart, Safeway,
Local Harvest.
SEND
YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E - The Environmental
Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com.
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