Why buy local?

So why is it that MARKET – Tastes of WA feels so strongly about supporting our local food producers?

The benefits of buying local are massive. We like to think of it as ‘feel-good’ shopping, but here are a few of the reasons why it is so important:

• Local produce is often fresher than food from far away. It’s common sense – something that is grown just a few hours down the road compared to something farmed overseas requires a lot less time, chemicals and energy to make its way to you.
• A 2007 report by CERES Community Environment Park in Melbourne found that the contents of a typical Australian weekly shopping basket travelled an average of 70,803km. By shopping locally, you reduce your carbon footprint, thus cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions.
• Buying locally grown and harvested food strengthens your regional economy by keeping money within your state, creating jobs and helps strengthen the local economy on a global scale.
• Because we know a lot of our producers and know exactly where our produce originates from we can provide farmers feedback on the quality and freshness of their food. We often also know the ways in which the food is farmed and the conditions in which it is grown can be monitored to meet our high standards.
• Supporting our local producers directly supports the land they farm, meaning protection of open spaces and natural ecosystems.
• Locally-grown food is often higher in nutrients as it reaches our shelves soon after harvest, whereas produce from out of state faces a lot longer time period in which nutrients are severely depleted.
• Last but not least, supporting our local farmers and producers harvests great community spirit and acknowledges the clever people who provide the most basic of human needs – delicious food.