Partner content: What Does “Local” Food Mean?
Often, I hear terms like “buy local” and “eat local foods”. But what does “local” mean? There is no legal definition of “local”, and it may depend on who is using this term and their personal opinion of what “local” means.
When it comes to food, “local” is a GEOGRAPHIC designation and it has nothing to do with how that food is farmed or raised.
I’ve heard people consider “local” to be:
• their town
• their county
• within 100 miles of their home
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• their state
• a region (like the Southeast)
• the United States
If you look at the above list, you realize how much variability there can be in how “local” is defined. For example, if you are in Western NC, you are miles (and hours) closer to Eastern Tennessee, Northeast Georgia and Upstate SC than you are to Eastern North Carolina...so does it make sense to consider a product from anywhere in NC “local” when something has to be transported over 4 hours but to not consider something “local” when it comes from just 45 minutes away?
Bottom Line: When someone talks about “local food” be sure and ask them, ‘How are you defining local?’
Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN
Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian
