Verified answer

I am a locovore in that I totally prefer to buy local to support local growers. I want to encourage those that are making a move to grow foods for those that are close to their crops. Where people can come and see the reality of where their food comes from, what it takes to make it grow, and those that work hard to grow it.

I also believe in growing what I can.

Spices are something that I buy once in awhile and not a weekly purchase such as the food that I buy, so don't see the correlation that your attempting to make.

I think the locovore thing is a fad. It presents an argument that it is better to eat local food because it is better for the planet.

I think it is inherently tied into the horrible food snobbery that is all over television that makes everyone think they are a food expert these days.

That is not necessarily true that being a locovore is better, especially if it still includes meat. Why restrict your diet to local seasonal foods, you should enjoy them and make the most of them, but why not have brazil nuts, rice, soya, bananas, papayas, etc? They are shipped via sea freight which is not so bad. It is not rational - what can be argued as bad about flying strawberries in from Africa or sea freighting crops in from overseas is that they release carbon emissions. That is an engineering problem, not a really solved by the 'locovore' reactionary agenda.

Foods should be be grown in environments that are best for them, or adapted to the climate you want to grow them in. As almost all crops and animals are massively adapted in this way the locovore argument is a bit meaningless.

You could just as easily argue that is you like a food that doesn't grow in your area you should live where it comes from - or that humans shouldn't live anywhere that they cannot get local food. WHat would that mean in an era where the majority of the worlds population now live in cities?

Not eating meat is great for the planet, but so is international trade. Trading is as old as human history and it makes an easy target for peole who think that capitalists are destroyign the world. Mindless consumerism is damaging the world, but commodity trading is not destroyig the world. Filling landfill sites with dead mobile phones, plastic bags, nylon carpets and all manner of imported disposable junk from the other side of the planet. Attacking food imports seems rediculous in the wider scheme of things.

Feeding european cattle brazilian soya beans does seem like a bad idea, but feeding african children brazilian soya beans would be better, and feeding them african soya beans would be best. But I would worry more that they get fed than where it comes from.

In Norway for example, I would applaud someone high in the north who wanted to be a vegetarian, even if the crops cannot be grown there. He has minerals to trade, so why not let him. The other alternative is to insist that he has no right to live there if he wont just eat local meat.

Its not all about greenhouse gasses anyway, thats only one element.

I don't think you are being hypocritical at all. Why not list all the things you are eating that worry you, research wherre they come from and compare that to meat. I think you can get chocolate in ways that conserves the forests and is sustainable, you cannot ranch cattle in a rainforest without completely and permanently destroying it. If you want to do the work I am sure you will see you have done the right thing.

Clarification:

It's true that vegetarians and vegan can eat a lot of 'ethnic' food, but that has a lot to do with the fact that other cultures have a lot of dishes that do not centre around meat so much. However, I wouldn't accept that this means they are responsible for more emissions than omnivore diets, just because the potency of methane emissions from cattle is much greater as a greenhouse gas than the CO2 that may have been emitted in transporting spices. Also the water, CO2 released from the soil in creating and harvesting feed crops, slaughering, chilling and transporting meat is all much greater than a pinch of spice from india.

I do also eat local produce when I can find it, not because I think its especially good for the environment, I just don't want Tescos to suck all the money out of our local enonomy. I have grown some veg at home, but this isn't really worth the effort in my optinion. Its far more labour intensive and I think it requires more water than a commercial operation that is efficient. Tastes nice straight from the garden to the plate though :-)

you mean "loca". i've got this great chocolate brand, "alter eco fair trade". it's organic + raw vegan sugar, mmm. But you know how it has that "usda certified organic" stamp? You'll have to look for the "fair tade certified" one like it on the cover, in case you weren't aware.

I'm 17 in california, so i'm sort of limited by my age [dont got alotta money], but cali does have a lot of local options.

You can't realistically help your location without moving. Maybe if you feel that guilty, do a double shift on earthday...Shitt if everyone owned a prius and put their worth in on Earthday...well, it'd help tons! (i'm sure you're doing plenty)

These transportation emissions are okay because they're necessary ...Up until planes can be fueled by H2O!

Sort of.

I love growing my own food, and I love picking wild foods. One of my family members also works bringing food to farmer's markets, so we get lots of local produce and wine from her.

BUT... I love exotic fruit, spices, and grains. Would I ever give those up? Probably not. You can't be 100% perfect. ;)

I'm working on that. We joined a CSA farm share and I really like it. We shop at the local farmers markets too.

I'm vegetarian (no dairy, no eggs), my partner is omni.

I buy as many local, in-season foods as possible. Unfortunately, we don't have the bounty in our temperate area (agricultural Zone 4/5) to buy completely local all winter long. I do grow my own greens in pots all year round, as well as most of my own fresh herbs. (therefore, I grow and dry most of my own spices). I also try to grow as many peppers and similar vegetables through the winter, but also worry about the carbon effect of my electricity bill from the growing lights :)

We frequent farmers markets all spring, summer and fall, and make the most of what's available as far as squash, apples, etc. that cold cellar well all winter. Unfortunately, although the farmers market is open all winter, most of it is imported produce that I can get at the green grocer. I freeze what I can from what I can get locally all summer, including berries and fruits, and asparagus, etc.

For my partner, we buy all our meat from a local farmer. I like to know how his meat is treated before it becomes meat - not enough to eat it, but enough to have a semi-conscience about having it in the house at all. Our honey and my partner's eggs come from friends who are just over 100km away with a free range farm. We always drive there in our Honda Fit ;).

All this being said and done - I still wish there was more available locally all year round, but the weather simply doesn't permit it. I'm still definately guilty about buying my beans, tofu, etc. at the grocery store. I try to buy from Canadian sources when I can, but I know it's not enough.

As far as environmentalists- we only own one car, I walk to work and other times we walk to anywhere we can get within a ~5k radius (I'll walk further but I get some grumbling!). I tend to utilize my feet, as well as public transit when I can get there reasonably well doing so. I make my own cleaning materials, have a naturalized lawn, designed our garden to be wildlife as well as drought friendly, and do the usual things like reducing, composting, and recycling.

If you were to meet me, I'm very normal and most people are very surprised that I'm such a fussy person over the environment, my eating habits, and ethics. This goes for people who know me. My inlaws didn't know I was strict vegetarian for years ;)

I think each person can only look at what they can do. Unfortunately, I know too many vegans who are pro-animal rights, who are happy to have the blood of their carbon footprint on their hands, or to have natural habitats of animals destroyed for roads, houses, and shopping malls. They drive gas guzzling SUVs to the mall, and haven't walked anywhere but 50meters to Starbucks. BUT - I respect the choices that everyone makes. We just need to make the choices that allow us to sleep at night.

Interesting Fact:

On average, a pound of beef takes 2,500 gallons of water. According to Newsweek, a 1000 gallons of water would float a destroyer. Vegetarian alternatives, however are much much more efficient.

Sorry but I think I am killing off what you are trying to save by

Driving an 81 Corvette with dual carbs

BBQ with a charcoal grill a lot

Gas powered lawn mower

run pool pump and air conditioner at the same time

Yes, I admit it, I am not 'green' and being so is of little concern to me. I recycle cans only because they pay back 10 cents per can and that's quite a bit.

"Locovore"? I don't think we need any new words.