Why Local Isn’t Always Possible

There’s a term for everything and those who want to buy local produce and foods are a locavore.

And right now, “local” is the new “organic.”

Indeed, the problems with the organics movement our newsletter (and this blog) have documented mean that “local” trumps “organic” in the minds of most shoppers.

The reasons cited for buying local include concerns about the environment, a desire to support local farmers, and a conviction that locally-grown produce and meats are fresher and likely “better.” Retailers are striving to stress their local products, though the food distribution system often makes it cheaper and easier to source produce from around the world than across the county. As with the rise of organics, the food industry is struggling to find enough local produce. Consumers are just as likely to see a sticker in French (“Aubergine”) on an eggplant imported from Europe as they are to discover asparagus from Peru.

The federal government even allows stores to describe as “local” anything grown within a 400 mile radius. Advocacy groups like Food and Water Watch are complaining that marketers are stretching the “local” label beyond the point of any meaning. Stores insist American insistence on “cheap” and “available all year round” favors large, industrial farms and distribution centers. Just as it is sometimes cheaper for FedEx to ship a parcel between Washington and Atlanta via a hub in Tennessee, grocers can often secure better, cheaper fresh foods from offshore instead of nearby. Grocers are also under pressure to conform to national promotional campaigns: stressing local foods in California in June is realistic, but not in New Jersey where the growing season is different.

Whole Foods is trying to capitalize on the locavore movement not only by highlighting local produce, but even telling shoppers which farms it comes from and how far away from the store they are. But overall chains simply aren’t set up to deal with many local sources, preferring to buy from distributors or large cooperatives. Sunny Valley International in Glassboro, NJ, for example, pools the produce from nearly 20 blueberry and peach farmers. The company can then market the product to large chains like Safeway, though the retailer has been chided for promoting “Jersey peaches” before the crop is picked. Retailers insist this isn’t deliberate.

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