Importance of Local Food Products

Local products are food products which originate and are produced in a geographic region that is local in terms of your place of residence. This could mean that this food is produced in your country, city, neighbourhood or your own garden.

Buying, using and eating local products is of great significance for the environment, for the social and economic situation as well as culture and history.

Local products often contain fewer pesticides because they are grown on smaller areas, where producers can control pests more easily. Eating local food improves health and modern medicine suggests that we should eat predominantly local food in season, to which we have adapted through evolution. Usually, around the world, the varieties and types of local products are greater in number compared to those that are imported, so eating local food also implies a greater variety, which is always recommended. Products that are locally grown reduce the threat of food poisoning and parasites since their transport is short and they are not chemically treated to remain fresh.

The use of local products promotes the sustainability of small farms, which directly impact biodiversity and do not degrade the soil as much as intensive farming. Less fuel is spent on transporting local food, which also reduces air pollution.

The continuous use of local food supports the community and the traditional way of life, which also means preservation of rare autochthonous varieties.