One of the benefits of the fact that local foods aren’t shipped, stored, and aged are they retain more nutrition. To keep shipped foods from going bad, foods such as fruits are often picked before they’ve ripened. However, these foods often lack the nutrition that foods allowed to fully ripen and mature can provide us. Food sourced directly from farms have been reported to have 20 % more nutrients according to a study conducted by EU
When food is stored and shipped between multiple intermediaries before reaching you, only 40 % of the price you pay reaches the farmer. When you buy from the farmers, who have created or grown the ingredients of your dish the anywhere from 85 to 95 percent of that margin goes to the farmer. This will benefit your local farmer from whom the ingredients have been sourced from.
When you support the farm-to-fork movement you’re helping the environment, too. Because local food is transported just small distances, less fuel is consumed and less emissions are released in the process of getting the food to the table. It reduces the carbon footprint on the environment by up to 60%
When the food is sourced directly from local farms and gardens it is advantageous as it retains the fresh flavors that these ingredients offer. As the produce is not plucked before ripening and it is not required to be preserved, frozen, or otherwise extend the useful life of these ingredients, your dish will taste fresh because it truly is fresh
When the food requires lesser storage negligible use of insecticide and has been allowed to ripen on the field the combination of better taste and better nutrient profile results in a healthier food. The health benefits alone are a major driving force behind this farm-to-fork movement in US.
When the intermediaries are eliminated, and the food is sourced directly from the farm the food does not require to travel long distances before reaching the consumer. This saves cost on transportation, fuel, storage and margins of the intermediaries or resellers. This saving is transferred to the consumer who may buy the food at a lower cost than what he currently pays. The cost to the consumer could be reduced by up to 27%
Thanks to farm-to-fork, you’ll know where your food came from. You will rest assured that you are aware the specific farms that supply the food, so you can understand which farms you’re supporting.
When you know what farms your food is coming from, you can support ethically responsible farming practices, like free-range meat, non-GMO crops, and organic farming. This is an excellent way to use your purchasing power for good, furthering the causes that you believe in and encouraging other local farms to adopt and continue these practices.
