Energy Use and Local Foods

Eating local foods has undeniable benefits: connecting humans to their surroundings, fostering relationships with farmers and food producers, supporting community economies; however, discrepancies exist regarding its environmental sustainability, and energy consumption in particular. The following articles provide an interesting view of local eating:

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/energy-an-ingredient-in-local-food-and-global-food/?scp=1&sq=energy%20costs%20local%20foods&st=cse

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/opinion/20budiansky.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=energy%20costs%20local%20foods&st=cse

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/do-we-really-need-a-few-billion-locavores/?scp=3&sq=energy%20costs%20local%20foods&st=cse

These are short and are definitely worth reading, but if you don't have time I'll briefly summarize. First, local foods are presented as environmentally inefficient as it may perhaps require more energy for people to produce food locally and "process" it in households (cooking, refrigeration, freezing, etc) than purchasing products of industrial agriculture. The extra time, effort, and energy of a local diet are also called into question - is it really worth it? Likewise, most climates can't support the production of a wide variety of foods (for example, the energy used in transporting a tomato from California to New York City may be less than the energy used in growing a tomato out-of-season in a New York greenhouse). Therefore, it may be more efficient to grow food where it's most suited, and transport it for large-scale distribution.

I've been struggling with these issues, especially since local foods have become so important to me over the last few months. The points that the authors illuminate are difficult to dispute. Though I have already come to terms with the fact that globally, all humans cannot be sustained as "locavores," I think there is a lot more to consider than energy consumption with respect to environmental impacts of local eating. The authors pay brief homage to the inherent benefits of local diets, but do not extrapolate to consider the results of the transformations people experience consequently. In my own circumstance, the extra effort that my diet required was not only worthwhile, it was life-changing. I have become much more aware of my personal consumption, which has had a rippling effect on other aspects of my life. For example, the awareness I've gained from eating locally has caused me to be more cognizant of my wastes, and I've been making greater efforts to reduce the "footprint" of my personal consumption. In addition, the manner in which food is produced has serious environmental implications. A product's locality doesn't ensure it's sustainability. It does, however, provide consumers with an opportunity to explore the origins of their food sources to allow for more informed decisions.

The issues these articles raise have been difficult for me to "wrestle" with, and I'm still continuing to sort out my thoughts. As someone who has had a positive and successful experience with a local diet, I'm convinced of its benefits. Perhaps the most proper solution would be more efficient energy systems to support locavores....I guess only time will tell!