Should We Buy Only Locally Grown Produce?

Mises.org ^ | 15 July 2008 | Art Carden

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Let's suppose that people do decide to "buy local" with the goal of saving the world and reducing their carbon footprint. This will increase the demand for locally grown foods, but it will also have an unintended and likely deleterious consequence; it will increase the demand for farm implements and labor.

Since the decision to buy locally is essentially the decision to forsake comparative advantage, every unit of agricultural output will be more resource intensive than it would be under specialization, division of labor, and trade.

In other words, each additional unit of output will require more resources than it would under trade. To take a concrete example, this means that the cultivation of spinach in Memphis will require more fertilizer, more rakes, more tillers, and more hoes than the cultivation of spinach in California. Producing these implements will (again) require resources, which will require specialization and trade. We could push the problem back a step and say that we should only use locally produced implements, but we can only regress so far before we run into an obvious problem of definition (how "local" is "local"?), resource constraints (different regions have different natural endowments), and widespread destruction (denuded forests and gouged lands as people assemble locally produced stone tools for cultivation).

"Buy local" is, at its logical limit, a prescription for poverty and starvation.

[IL Republican]

I buy locally because it lasts more than a day. I recently bought a fresh head of lettuce and ate some of it 7 days after I bought it. It was still crisp.

When I buy produce at the store, I figure I need to eat it within 48 hours.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Welcome... Home...;0)

[lormand]

Near my hometown of Lafayette, LA, they grow tons of rice. Crowley LA is known as "The Rice Capital of America" and even has a rice festival.

Rice Festival Queen, Amber Thibodeaux

[Citizen Blade]

I buy locally because it lasts more than a day. I recently bought a fresh head of lettuce and ate some of it 7 days after I bought it. It was still crisp.

We buy a lot of our produce and meats either at Whole Foods or at the weekly farmers' markets in the DC area. A lot of times, the produce still has dirt on it, it was picked so recently. Compared to the produce you find at the major supermaket chains, which probably spent the last few days on a truck from California, it's like night and day.

There wasa great King of the Hill episode where Hank joins a co-op supermarket because he wants to be able to buy fresh, tasty produce and meat.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

I try to “buy local” but it’s more to support the local farmers than to lessen my carbon footprint. Kentucky has the “Kentucky Proud” program and I will usually purchase something that has the Kentucky Proud logo a product that was not grown in Kentucky, because I do feel in some ways it is important to support those in your community and state. I also shop at Farmer’s markets, but that’s because the veggies are fresher and taste better IMHO.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Boonie, I sure do!

On Monday my daughter took me to lunch at Cracker Barrel. As we were walking in, I saw a young soldier crossing the parking lot with his wife, I went over shook his hand and said "Thank You for your service". My daughter had tears in her eyes. Then an older gentleman thanked me for thanking the soldier. I told him I do it all the time, I said that I didn't want them to be treated the way my husband was when he was in the Army.

[reasonisfaith]

Where in “buy local” is the free market principle?

Nowhere. That the whole thing is consistent with hard core socialism can be detected in the fact that while it advocates slowing the economy, the slogan spread like wildfire with a maximum of do-gooder appeal and a minimum of real benefit.

[Gabz]

Garden PING!!!!!!!!!!

Vacation Bible School ends today and I’m on my way out the door to attend the final program of the week and then have picnic lunch -— I’ll be back later!

[hoe_cake]

thanks for the ping. I’d not thought of buying locally, really, and YES! I’ll make an effort to buy locally.

My family were farmers in south Georgia. The farm is now gone, sad to say. So I support our farmers.

And I believe America should be as independent as possible (especially considering our oil crisis).

[politicalwit]

I'm boycotting veggies in general. Purchasing only US produced junk foods...purchasing my meats from a local market where I know the animals have been raised, slaughtered and quartered by local illegals.

Take that Mexico and China!!!

[metmom]

Of course. It’s the best.

[flutters]

Let's suppose that people do decide to "buy local" with the goal of saving the world and reducing their carbon footprint.

I'll have to remember the next time I visit the farmers market to stomp out the door shouting "I'm off to save the world"!

[chickpundit]

I’m not worried about my carbon footprint, but I think I will make more of an effort to buy locally and patronage farmer’s markets more often. I’m done with produce from Mexico, and think it’s great to support local farmers. I like the idea of our nation being more self reliant and not relying on other countries for so many of the things we need.

I also grow a small garden ... finally got my first ripe tomato yesterday. I plan to expand the garden next year.

[Larry Lucido]

It’s simple.

If you live in Castro Valley, you eat nothing but artichokes.

Those of us in Michigan eat nothing but cherries.

Folks in Iowa and Illiois eat nothing but corn and soybeans. And lots of it.

Any questions?

[tacticalogic]

There is no “local”. It’s all “interstate commerce”.

[politicalwit]

I’m not worried about my carbon footprint

I'm not worried about my carbon footprint but I am concerned about the excess carbon build-up on my heels? My question is how to I rid myself of the build-up?

[Upstate NY Guy]

“Every increase in transportation costs makes local farming and manufacturing that much more attractive.”

True but it may still not be profitable or even more fuel efficient than large scale farming and bulk shipping. This is due to the economies of scale.

I live in a farming district and I am familiar with farming history. 175 years ago each local farmer grew a little bit of everything. Take wheat for instance. Each farmer would grow a small amount of wheat and transport it to a grain mill in his town. Lots of small wheat fields and lots of small local grain mills. Lots of wagons to transport the grain to the mill and flour from the mill to the local stores.

When better farming equipment and railroads were introduced the cost of flour dropped dramatically. Farming became more specialized and cost efficient. It was simply not profitable to grow wheat on every small family farm. This trend has continued ever since.

Transporting grain or flour via rail is very fuel efficient, even over long distance. Probably more fuel efficient than having thousands of small local trucks doing the same thing over very short distances.

The other thing I don't understand about the buy local concept is variety. What kind of locally grown green vegetables would be available after the frost? What kind of locally grown citrus fruit would be available any time of year in northern climates?

[ichabod1]

Im not really an advocate either way, though I am interested in things that can help enliven the US economy. It’s a situation where when the price of fuel goes up, industries that were previously marginal (on the wrong side of the margin) now move to the right side of the margin. I’m not a local or organic eater — I LIKE DDT. Preservatives just might be preserving me.

[chickpundit]

Perhaps a visit to your podiatrist might be in order.

[SunkenCiv]

or better yet, should we grow locally eaten produce? :’)