How Local Should You Buy

It is interesting to see that food movements seem to come in waves. Now that organic is really sinking in and is changing and being adopted by larger organizations, it is getting criticism for some factory farm practices. People recognize that organic is better for not poisoning the land, workers, and consumers with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Organic also tends to use more small farms and more local farms, but these last two items have changed some. This is the source of newfound criticism and has helped to fuel an increasing powerful local foods movement.

One of the main reasons for this movement is the premise that moving foods long distances is petroleum intense and not good for the environment. I thought that I would take a look at one part of this. If you take a 40 foot container of some food item and need to get it to your local distributor in Louisville, KY, how much fuel would it use?


Shipping From Distance Fuel Used

Latin America 2400 miles 110 gallons (includes both land and water)

California 1700 miles 212 gallons

Virginia 350 miles 34 gallons



Really this boils down to the fact that container ships carry 5800 containers or more so you can get 50 miles per gallon per container, whereas container trucks only get 8 miles per gallon. This is all a simplification, but is interesting. This whole local lifestyle requires that you eat seasonally so that local farms can supply what you want and that farms diversify enough where multiple items can be supplied by local farms. The same factors that drive other parts of the economy, get big and mechanized or go offshore, seem to drive agriculture. To really eat local fresh organic healthy food takes effort and a willingness to spend more.

Also, note that there are other factors to eating local, but I don't have time to go into that because it is my daughter's birthday and I must run.