The local food movement, eating local, being on the "100 mile diet" or being a locavore are all synonymous with local food, whose consumption has risen to prominence as an important part of the larger green movement. Taking the baton from organic food as a poster child for sustainable agriculture, local food integrates production, processing, distribution and consumption on a small scale, creating sustainable local economies and a strong connection between farm and table.
The benefits of eating local food
Local food has myriad environmental benefits -- we've mentioned just a few in connection with having a green Earth Day -- as well as the social, economical and agricultural benefits of supporting small family farms. But there are many facets to the simple-sounding lifestyle choice.
Where does local food come from?
First of all, though, local food comes from local food systems, which exist as an alternative to industrial food systems. The local systems replace the scale and volume common in industrial systems with control and relationships; when you buy local food, not only do you know where it came from, you're often buying it from the person or people who grew the food.
So, "local" can refer to a fairly specific area -- whether it's 100 miles or 150 miles -- but one farm may define the area as anywhere within a day's drive, since that's where they can easily and efficiency move their products. But local is more than just miles.