When it comes to eating more sustainably, choosing local and seasonal produce can make a big impact. But what is the difference between these two terms and why is this choice so important?
Local vs seasonal
Maybe this is a little self explanatory, but it’s always good to be thorough. local produce refers to produce grown and harvested locally – so British strawberries, for example. Seasonal produce refers to produce that is naturally in season, regardless of where that produce has been grown.
The relation to sustainability
For us in the UK, choosing British strawberries over strawberries grown abroad (for example) is a super easy way to cut down on food-related emissions. Eating locally is also a great way to support local businesses – buying produce at a local farmers market and learning about the full supply chain of the food you cook with is a great and empowering way of helping your local community and the environment. Buying from smaller, local suppliers is also likely to better support farms which are better for biodiversity and, consequently, long term food security (which is a huge and pretty scary issue in itself).
As well as the environmental benefits, eating locally and seasonally has great health benefits. Local and seasonal produce is generally fresher and can be bought with less unnecessary packaging.
Check out our instagram to see this month’s local and seasonal produce (for the UK) and keep an eye on our socials for recipes highlighting the use of this produce. We’d love to see how other people approach this more sustainable way of eating too, so get in touch if you’ve got any recipes or ideas we can share!