Farm-to-Fork Facts

Just how far does most food travel? What are some of the benefits of eating local? Here are a few farm-to-fork facts about local and non-local foods:

• Local foods usually are allowed to ripen on the vine longer, increasing their nutritional value.
• Small, family-owned farms reinvest a larger portion of their profits into their communities. While large, industrial farms often bulk order seeds, equipment and products from distant companies, small farms are more likely to purchase operating supplies and services from other locally owned businesses.
• Farmers who sell their produce locally are likely to choose fruit and vegetable varieties for their superior flavor rather than their durability for traveling long distances.
• Buying local products gives farmers an incentive to diversify their offerings, rather than focus on a single crop. Diversified fields help protect the environment by producing crops that are more resilient against pests, extreme weather and disease.
• On average, produce travels more than 1,500 miles from the industrial farm to the plate.
• On average, an American meal usually consists of ingredients from five different countries.
• Typically, non-local food spends seven to 14 days in transit to reach American consumers.
• Smaller, family-owned farms typically reinvest more into the local economy by purchasing goods and services available within their region, rather than through large bulk distributors outside the region.

Information from: Harvard Center for Health and the Global Environment, Sustainable Table, Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, University of Iowa, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Worldwatch Institute