Local Food - Good for You?

We've been saying that fresh, locally grown food tastes better, contains more nutrients, and saves gasoline. In buying locally as much as possible, we believe that we are helping family farmers and the rural communities where they live. Through supporting family farms, such as the one on the left, from UNC News, we are moving toward sustainable agriculture.

Some people have committed to eating a "100-mile diet," choosing food that has traveled no more than 100 miles to reach their table. Among these are a few who admit making exceptions -- for coffee, for example. We don't grow coffee in the Carolinas, but we look for the small "Fair Trade" symbol on the package. It indicates that the grower supports the small farmers in the country where the coffee is grown.

Does it really help? Public officials and others sometimes question whether these efforts really make a difference in improving our health or affecting the ideals we promote. Now the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has received a two-year grant to study such questions in our state. A team of faculty and staff from UNC's of School of Public Health and other North Carolina universities will investigate agriculture and our system of food buying.

The loss of farmland and livelihood among farmers who previously grew tobacco is one concern, according to Dr. Alice Ammerman of the UNC School of Public Health. Rural communities are also affected by local manufacturing layoffs and plant closures, she said. Non-profit organizations such as the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Program will be helping on these issues.

The NC Department of Health and Human Services will be helping to gather statistics, along with county and regional partners. For further information, see the website of the UNC School of Public Health.