Can Local Food Really be Local - Literature review Example

?Can 'Local Food' Ever Really Be Local? Why Is It Significant That 'Local' Is Actually Local? Literature Review In light of the current emphasis on recycling and healthier eating, the idea of locally grown food is important. Many markets and supermarkets are promoting locally grown food in an attempt to work with local farmers. This action will increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables that can get to the market quickly. This creates a win-win situation in that the farmers are able to bring their produce to market and provide an opportunity for consumers to receive good quality food. The question for this literature review is to define whether local food is actually local and if it is, to define the significance as to the difference between local foods and other types. Agro-Food Geography Alternative food networks have become important in recent years because consumers want to make sure they are getting the best quality of food they can get. Many supermarkets have turned to irradiated foods to preserve their shelf life. Unfortunately, no one really knows whether this food is creating health problems or not. Because of the emphasis on health, some people have worried about whether their produce should be irradiated and whether it is healthy. Instead, they have turned to organic produce. Although buying organic is sometimes more expensive, it does give the public a feeling that they are getting high quality food that is not riddled with harmful pesticides. In the rural areas of Europe, the idea of foods that are aesthetically pleasing to eat and that taste good have become a great concern (Sage, 2001). The concept of "social embeddedness" is important to this discussion because it is what connects consumers to the society that they are connecting to. The society understands that they can be sustainable by purchasing local food and by involving themselves in growing their won food. To begin to understand the growing alternative food market, it is important to examine how food and nature come together. Winter (2005) suggests that in rural parts of the country, there are many ways to use alternative food. Many opportunities exist for food to be brought in from rural areas to the supermarkets so that consumers have more opportunity to purchase good food. Watts, Ilbery and Maye (2005) suggest that local markets are important because farmers need to have a better share of the market. Local markets are very important to the economy because when people use these markets they are able to have better food it would seem. However, how do we know that better food is more nutritional and better tasting than other foods? This research will attempt to explore this issue and understand why people are so involved with local food products. Consumer Demand for Local Food In the last several years, the emphasis around the world has been on health. Most people have returned to a lifestyle that includes regular exercise and eating healthier. Many believe that going to markets that provide local food is better than going to supermarkets because they can find organic foods. Usually organic food means that it is free of harmful pesticides and has a more flavourful taste than food from a regular supermarket. Adams and Salois (2010) state that the movement towards locally grown food has become a sort of movement as people began to change their perception of the different types of food they could consume. The organic and local markets began as an alternative to other types of food and it has grown into a demand for local food. Much of this is because people have changed their perceptions of what this type of food meant. The idea that this has become a movement is supported by the fact that there have been a series of books about how to use local food and why it should be bought. In fact, this has become such a movement that the word "locavore" has been coined to mean people who prefers local foods (it has even become a part of the New Oxford English Dictionary) (Adams and Salois 2010). Community supported gardens and farmer's markets have grown in popularity since 1995. The challenge is that "local" means different things to different people: some people define local as anything that can be obtained regionally while others define it as state by state. In either case, the demand for locally grown food has become more important. Initially, organic food was produced by local farmers without much problem from the government. However, in the last few years, the government (via the FDA) stepped in and began to label foods as "organic" or not. This has not deterred those people who prefer to eat local food. Brown and Miller (2008) add to this discussion in stating that farmer's markets and local food agricultural programs impact the community in several ways. Many studies have shown that part of this impact comes about because of the social activity and sense of community that farmer's markets bring. This creates a win-win situation in that consumers get fresh food and produce and the farmer's grow economically. For many farmers the markets are a major source of their income which is also a reason that they still exist today. Chrzan (2010) studied farmer's markets and the consumers who go to them and found that the consumers really did not have a clear understanding of the term organic but they think that organic is better for their health. Many consumers that were interviewed said that because of allergies or because they wanted to eat healthier. Many believe that organic means that the food will be healthier, cleaner to eat, will taste better and that they will be free of risk factors that may plague other foods Farmers see organic as a process. When interviewed in Charzan's study, they described their process when explaining what organic meant to them. Generally speaking, the farmers that were interviewed also saw that their farms would not be as economically available to them if they did not produce organically, although each farmer had their own idea of how to do the organic process. The results of these studies shows that organic is something that both consumers and farmers are able to define in a way that satisfies their need to use these foods. Conner, Montri and Hamm (2009) studied the effect of organic foods grown in greenhouses and found that the food grown in greenhouses were not only good foods but they enabled farmers to grow food all year round. This provided consumers with organic choices throughout all seasons, which increases the farmer's cash flow. This again provides a win-win situation for the consumer and the farmer. The fact that they are able to produce and purchase food in all seasons, prevents farmers from having problems throughout the life of their farming. Buying Meat Locally Beyond produce and vegetables, meat is another product that is purchased locally. Usually, the best meat is found in a butcher shop instead of a local supermarket. The biggest reason that people procure meat in this situation is because it is tastier and it does not travel a long distance. According to Rowlinson (2011) meat that is purchased locally does not have to travel from one place to another. As an example, much of the lamb that is on the supermarket shelves in the UK actually is imported from distributors in New Zealand. This meat comes into the country and is held for a time at a distribution centre before it is moved out into the local supermarkets. Lambs are often sent live and then slaughtered sometime between the travel from New Zealand to the distribution centre. This means that the lamb may not be as fresh when it gets to the supermarket as it would be had it been slaughtered locally and sent to the butcher shop (Rowlinson, 2011). Animals that are raised locally are also treated better by their handlers and the butcher will treat the meat with care. The way the meat tastes is directly related to how the animals were cared for in raising them and butchering them (Smithers, 2009). Well reared animals generally come from local farms or local butchers who kill the animals humanely. Food Standards for Meat Production The Food Standards Agency provides standards for all meat production from the cleaning of the meat to preparing it for consumption. They provide regular inspection of meat storage areas as well as inspecting the carcasses to make sure they are free of diseases and fit for human consumption. They also regulate the "location, design, and construction of food premises and the choice of fixtures, fittings and equipment … " (Food Standards Agency 2010 p. 2). These standards are put into place so that everyone knows what they are to do in order to keep meat safe for consumers. The standards are very strict when it comes to working with the meat so that no one is in the dark about what they are to do. This information is readily available so that farmers can make sure that they have the latest information and consumers can understand that the consumption of meat is safe. References Abrahams, C. 2010. Transforming the region: Supermarkets and the local food economy. African Affairs, 109 (434). 115-134. Adam, D.C., and Salois, M.J. 2010. Local versus organic: A turn in consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay. Renewable Agriculture & Food Systems, 25 (4). 331-341. doi: 10.1017/S1742170510000219 Brett, J.A. 2010. 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