The term “locavore” was coined by a group of women in San Francisco in 2005 when they began a website, challenging people to eat food produced within a 100-mile (160-kilometre) radius of where they lived during the month of August. The idea travelled many many miles beyond San Francisco and is still a thing today.
The distance the food travels is called “food miles”. Dairy and meat products are common travellers. Fruit and vegetables generate less emissions during production, but anything that requires refrigerated transport has very high food mile emissions. In the case of produce, nearly double the number of emissions it took to grow and harvest them.
Eating local food has huge health benefits. It is fresher with a higher percentage of retained nutrients and this supports the higher likelihood that you avoid more processed, preserved and packaged foods. It often also means the food is organic.
Eating locavore supports local growers, increases the number of community farms, farm gates and farmers’ markets as well as powering a renewed interest in backyard vegetable.
It's super easy. Choose local. Purchasing local produce supports local farmers, producers and manufacturers – and your own health.