Becoming a Locavore
Eat locally for yourself, your community, and the planet
The first time I heard the word “Locavore” was in 11th grade AP English, as I had to write a paper about this ‘movement’ of people who only eat a local diet.
By definition, to be a Locavore means to eat food grown and sold within a 100-mile radius. Directly from my adolescent analysis, this lifestyle “benefit societies as a whole with a prosperous economy and less pollution.” Now with further understanding, I realize that this of course is not only prosperous to the local economy and environment, but to the individual as well.
Benefits
Individual Health: Ideally, a person should be eating food grown in the same light environment as the one they live in - which means that the same sun rays hitting your skin are the same ones growing the food you’re eating. Not until recently did we have access to food across the world; food that has nonetheless been grown, frozen, stored and transported hundreds of miles away. Our body and environment work together, and when you are feeding yourself with foreign foods, you are confusing its natural cycles. This is why eating a a perfect red apple in the dead of winter may cause bloating or uneasiness. Eating a papaya in winter may be very beneficial for someone in Mexico but not for someone in Minnesota. We are supposed to cycle in and out of eating particular foods, such as denser ones in the winter and lighter ones in the summer (depending on where you live), instead of having 24/7 access.
Economy: When businesses are not locally owned, money is being taken from the community at every transaction made. If people begin to eat local foods, then those businesses will earn the income, and the local economy will thrive. Relying on processed foods made by big manufacturers puts more money into the pockets of the 1%, and less to your average working citizen.
Environment: An avocado that has traveled on a plane, train and car to get to you has been involved in a process that emits massive amounts of pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. Roughly 2.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide released per year are associated with the transport, production and wholesale/retail of foods. The fast food industry is having ramifications beyond what we can even conceive right now.
I have luckily been able to adopt a Locavore diet and mindset here in Costa Rica, as the bulk of the food available is simply what is cheaper and in abundance due to the high import cost. This means that I have personally been eating a plethora of tropical fruit and local fish, rather than typical East Coast spring staples like berries and tomatoes.
So how can I eat local?
The easiest way is by going to Shire Local, inputting your zip code, and finding the nearest farms, farmers markets, and local healthy restaurants. This is an incredibly helpful tool in accessing and supporting the local food scene. Start with as much local produce as you can, then slowly add in dairy, meat and eggs. By adding in more healthy and sustainable options, you inevitably crowd out the packaged and processed ones that are harming you.
Find your rhythm, find your balance, support local food systems and sync back into the environment in which you reside.