What's the big deal with eating local?

Answer by  GeekBoy (146)

It is very difficult to keep a local restaurant going-- many of them go out of business within three years. If you enjoy ethnic or specialty foods prepared by cooks who care about quality, you're better off going to local restaurants, not impersonal corporate places with ready-made food.

Answer by  shego (255)

Eating local is good for economic reasons. When you eat local, you help to support your community; which is made up of families who are trying to raise and support their children. Eating local is also a good way to have chance meetings with people who may be able to help you or your own business in some way.

Answer by  John (9008)

Eating local is a good idea for two main reasons. First of all, local food has a much shorter distance to travel in order to get to you; thus, it will be much fresher and will often taste better. The other reason is that it helps to support your local economy.

Answer by  foodqueen (48)

Eating local can help the economy of your own community. Many local establishments also offer traditional food from a particular culture of your town or city.

Answer by  plynn (28)

When we eat locally grown food we get food when it is ripe - Salicylate is the natural protection for fruits and vegetables. As produce ripens it turns off the salicylates and makes vitamin C. These salicylates could be causing you problems, rashes, asthma, digestive, etc. Making ou miserable. Buy local.

Answer by  PaulChalmers (6)

One good answer is that it pumps less carbon into the atmosphere than shipping it thousands of miles. However, the added emissions accrued by you, per item bought, if you need to drive to one of the (more sparsely distributed) farmers' markets, can quite easily outweigh this benefit. Not simple.

Answer by  Anonymous

You should do it. Support your local community instead of big multinational corporate companies. Also, its better for the environment, see, less shipping around the world. MacDonalds for example, probably does a lot of international shipping.