Buy local is a unique concept, a lot of people say that it's going back to something old but the movement has grown in popularity by the years and I think it's actually a new way of addressing a problem: that ordinary people like us do not know where our food comes from.
Q: Nouhaila, can you briefly tell us what buy local is and what it guarantees to the producers and consumers?
A: Going local does not mean walking to the outside world and growing your own food yourself, it means nurturing locally-owned businesses which use local resources and employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily local consumers. It means becoming more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports. Moreover, eating local means more money stays within your community. Every dollar spent generates twice as much income for the local economy. Local produce is fresher and tastes better because it is usually sold within 24 hours of being picked. If you buy produce at a conventional grocery store, it may have been kept in storage for several days or even weeks. Buying local seeks to put the spotlight on the seasons. Not everything is available all year round, meaning what grows is the most abundant and least expensive produce available. In addition when you buy local food or any produce that has not been transported from afar, it is less likely to be contaminated or tampered with. We can also add that when we buy local food, we support local farmers, indeed they receive at least what it cost them to grow the product. Lastly, eating local reduces the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, because most food is transported via trucks that emit massive amounts of greenhouse gases. Buy local seeks to put the spotlight on better quality and reducing pollution.
Q: Speaking about pollution, globally where would you say that buy local has made the most impact?
A: The target of buying local is to preserve the environment against carbon dioxide which is being emitted in the atmosphere by the exportation caused by planes. Buy local products attempts to limit the exportation which causes the pollution, and that subsequently decreases the environmental cost and overall the final price.
Q: How can we convince people to buy local ?
A: The government acknowledges that this is problematic and wants to ensure that aviation companies pay the environmental cost which they are responsible for. The solution is to increase the tax rates in order to convince the countries to buy local. For example, apple taxes in New Zealand to aid the farmers.
