Green Living: Disadvantages of Buying Local Food

Although many people are jumping on the local food bandwagon because it is better for you, supports local business, and helps to save the environment, there are also a number of disadvantages to buying local. Although these should not stop you from buying local, they are worth considering when you are thinking about making the transition to a greener household.

Disadvantage of Buying Local Food: More Expensive

The main reason that people choose not to buy local food is because it is more expensive than most of the food that comes into the grocery store. This is because your local farmers are smaller, usually family-run, and they do not have the streamlined production that the big grocery store suppliers have. You will have to pay more for their products, but you do get the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting local business.

Disadvantage of Buying Local Food: Less Convenient

In addition, another disadvantage of buying local food is that it tends to be less convenient. You may have to go to the farmers' market for your produce and meat, and then go to the regular neighborhood grocery store for your grains, cereals, and other products that are not available in local varieties.

Even worse, if your local farmer does not come to the farmers' market, but rather makes you come to them, you will have to go out of your way to go to their farm to purchase the food.

Disadvantage of Buying Local Food: Less Variety

Local food will obviously only consist of the things that can be grown locally. This means that in the middle of winter, you will not be able to get strawberries, nor will you have pumpkins to make a good pumpkin pie for Easter. You are limited to the produce that can be grown during the season, and in the winter, you will be forced to buy much more at the supermarket if you live in a cold area that cannot grow anything during the winter.

Disadvantage of Buying Local Food: Not Regulated

If you are buying from a stand at the farmers market that claims to have organic fruit, there is really no way of knowing if this is true. This is because local farmers at small farms are often not certified or regulated. Chances are that they are telling the truth and their food is better than stuff that is shipped in, but you can never know for sure.