Think Global, Eat Local

8:08 PM  , , ,  

Singapore
June 2013

(Source : My Danish Kitchen)

After discovering that the kiwis in the smoothie she drank could be planted by handsome Italian men ("My Kiwis Are Planted By Handsome Italian Men!"), and thinking about the journey the poor kiwis took to be transported halfway around the world to Singapore, Merlion Wayfarer decided to compile a short-and-sweet list of why you should eat food produced locally (and regionally).
  1. Locally-grown food tastes and looks better. The crops are picked at their peak. Livestock products are processed in nearby facilities and typically the farmer has a direct relationship with the processors, overseeing quality - unlike animals processed in large industrial facilities.
      
  2. Local food is better for you. The shorter the time between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food. Food imported from far away is older and has traveled further on trucks, ships or planes, and sat in warehouses longer before it gets to you.
      
  3. Local food preserves genetic diversity. In the modern agricultural system, plant varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen uniformly, withstand harvesting, survive packing, and last a long time on the shelves, so there is limited genetic diversity in large-scale production. Smaller local farms, in contrast, often grow many different varieties of crops to provide a long harvest season, an array of colours, and the best flavors. They also tend to produce crops according to the season and soil conditions, and use organic fertilizers. Large farms tend to milk the environment and overharvest to increase crop yield. Livestock diversity is also higher where there are many small farms rather than few large farms.
      
  4. Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms provide ecosystem services: they conserve fertile soil, protect water sources, and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The farm environment is a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife within the communities.

Commercial vertical farming in Singapore which produces one tonne of produce every other day for local supermarkets...
(Source : Inhabitat)

Hydroponics & aeroponics farming in Singapore...
(Source : Blogspot & Geography ATT)

Sources