Sustainable food movement
The sustainable food movement, often referred to as the local food movement, emphasizes the importance of consuming fresh, unprocessed foods that are grown or produced close to home. Advocates, known as "locavores," typically source their food from home gardens, farmers markets, and specialty stores. The movement gained momentum in the early 2000s, driven by growing awareness of health issues, environmental concerns, and the practices of the corporate food industry, as highlighted in influential books and documentaries.
Local food is generally defined as products sourced within a specific geographical range—often within 100 miles of one’s home—and is associated with environmentally and socially sustainable practices. This means that local food production aims to be humane, fair, and eco-friendly, potentially benefiting the community's economy by keeping spending local.
Despite the increasing popularity of the movement, challenges persist, including the higher costs of local foods and their uneven availability, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. Nevertheless, the movement has seen a significant rise in small farms, farmers' markets, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, contributing to a growing interest in healthier eating and sustainable practices.
Sustainable food movement
A movement that seeks to replace shipped and processed foods with locally grown and minimally processed options; also known as the local food movement
The sustainable, or local, food movement has garnered much attention in the early twentieth century. The purpose of the self-proclaimed “locavores,” or followers of the local food movement, is to eat food that is fresh, unprocessed, and locally grown. These foods are typically produced in home gardens or found at farmers markets and specialty food stores. Drawbacks, such as availability and expense, are some of the hurdles to eating local.
Throughout the 2000s, Americans became increasingly aware of what they were eating as well as the sources of these foods. This awareness was driven in part by factors such as growing obesity rates and numerous books and documentaries about the food industry. Author Eric Schlosser gave readers the story behind the fast-food industry in his 2001 book Fast Food Nation (later made into a film). In 2006, Michael Pollan published the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which looked at the way Americans eat and introduced many to the concept of sustainable, or local, eating. The two authors teamed up as narrators for the 2008 documentary Food, Inc., in which filmmaker Robert Kenner explored the use of genetically modified seeds, the impact of chemical fertilizers, and the abuse of animals and workers within the US corporate farming industry. These, along with books and films on similar topics, have been a wake-up call to many Americans to think about the foods they were choosing.
“Local food” can mean different things, but the description typically applies to food that is grown, made, or produced within one hundred miles of one’s home. It can also mean food that is grown, made, or produced in one’s state. To some, local food is environmentally and socially sustainable, meaning it is produced in a way that does not harm the planet, people, or profits—a combination of factors known as the “triple bottom line.” In other words, farmers produce food using humane and environmentally friendly ways, treat their employees fairly, and sell food at honest prices.
As interest in local foods grew, these products became easier to find. Consumers could find local products at farmers markets, specialty stores, and even chain stores such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods. They also participated in community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, in which consumers purchase shares of the harvest from one or more farmers. Each consumer then receives a weekly box of locally grown foods that typically include produce and other products, such as eggs or meat, from the farmer or group of farmers.
Rise of Local Food Movement
The popularity of the local food movement became evident in many ways. The number of small farms increased by over eighteen thousand from 2002 to 2007, and has remained steady since, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The number of farmers’ markets and CSAs increased dramatically in just a few decades. In 2006, the USDA reported that more than forty-six hundred farmers’ markets were in operation throughout the United States. By 2014, this number increased to more than eight thousand. In 1986, only two CSAs could be found in the country.
Numerous restaurants boasting only local ingredients began popping up all over the country, joining the ranks of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, which had been serving up local, organic foods for decades. School districts also joined the movement. By 2008, more than twelve hundred school districts had partnered with local farms to feed fresh and local foods to schoolchildren. Some colleges, prisons, and detention centers followed suit. Even the White House supported the movement. After President Barack Obama took office in 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama created a garden at the White House and focused her efforts on combating childhood obesity. After the First Lady began her initiative, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack created a garden of his own outside his Washington office. Soon after, the Department of Agriculture introduced the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food program.
Barriers to Eating Local
The major obstacles to eating local were the availability of local foods and the expense. With more retailers carrying local options and the abundance of farmers markets, finding local foods has become somewhat easier. The price of local foods, however, was not dropping, which made it difficult for many Americans who simply could not afford the added expense of shopping local.
During the downturn of the economy between 2007 and 2008, many families struggled just to buy food. The USDA reported that more than fifty million Americans were food insecure, which means they might and sometimes do run out of food before they could afford more. Low-income families typically allot most of their food budgets to highly caloric and processed foods because they are less expensive than healthier options such as produce. Also, many poor neighborhoods lack well-stocked supermarkets that contain fresh foods.
Impact
Proponents of the sustainable food movement believe buying and eating local food is good for the environment and for business and is healthier and fresher, as foods may contain fewer chemicals and preservatives. Local food requires less energy consumption since the products do not have to be shipped very far. Buying and eating local may also strengthen a community’s economy, since keeping more money local can in turn help create new local jobs.
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