A former colleague who was a researcher and promoter of local food systems once argued that local meat markets connect children with reality. “If young people do not have a direct experience with food”, he told me, “they might think it originates on supermarket shelves. Local butcheries improve food literacy and reduce the disconnect between consumers and their choices”. Many would dispute this approach today, but I get the point. The question is: how does it sit with what we know about food and the environment?
Local-food supporters like the colleague quoted above often claim that consuming food within a short radius (distance varies across countries) will enhance human wellbeing while also radically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There is evidence to suggest that local food production and consumption has positive impacts on employment, health, community development, local economies, humanitarian aid, biodiversity and more.
At the same time, it is not possible…
