What exactly are 'local' groceries?
Source: Agencies |
April 3, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE No. 2 official at the United States Agriculture Department recently got a real-life lesson in the loose definition of the trendiest word in groceries: "local."
Walking into her neighborhood grocery store in Washington, Kathleen Merrigan saw a beautiful display of plump strawberries and a sign that said they were local produce. But the package itself said they were grown in California, well over 3,200 kilometers away.
The popularity of locally grown food - which many assume means the food is fresher, made with fewer chemicals and grown by smaller, less corporate farms - has led to an explosion in the use of the word "local" in food marketing.
It's the latest big thing after the surge in food marketed as "organic," another subject of continuing labeling controversy.
But what does local mean? Lacking common agreement, sellers capitalizing on the trend occasionally try to fudge the largely unregulated term. Some grocery stores may define local as within a large group of states, while consumers might think it means right in their hometown.
"It's a sales gimmick," says Allen Swann, a Maryland farmer who became frustrated when he realized a nearby grocery chain was selling peaches and corn from New York and New Jersey as local produce. "They are using the word local because of the economic advantage of using the word local."
A federal definition is unlikely because of the diversity of crops and growing regions around the country. A set distance or definition that works for one state or one crop may not make sense for others. But some states have taken a crack at it.
Vermont defines "local" as grown within the state or within 48km of where it is sold. Massachusetts has similar restrictions for the word "native." And numerous other states have made it easier for local farmers to advertise that their food was produced in-state.
Maryland recently proposed a new rule that would require retailers to disclose what state a food is from if they advertise it as locally grown.
Maryland Agriculture Secretary Earl "Buddy" Hance says the state settled on that approach so consumers could be the ones to decide what they think is local.
The US Agriculture Department has found that there is no generally accepted definition of local food. With few regulations, retailers have different standards.
The Agriculture Department says consumer preferences for locally grown food can mean more jobs and profits for local farmers and higher produce sales in stores. The department estimates that locally grown foods will generate US$7 billion in sales this year, up from US$5 billion in 2007.
Walking into her neighborhood grocery store in Washington, Kathleen Merrigan saw a beautiful display of plump strawberries and a sign that said they were local produce. But the package itself said they were grown in California, well over 3,200 kilometers away.
The popularity of locally grown food - which many assume means the food is fresher, made with fewer chemicals and grown by smaller, less corporate farms - has led to an explosion in the use of the word "local" in food marketing.
It's the latest big thing after the surge in food marketed as "organic," another subject of continuing labeling controversy.
But what does local mean? Lacking common agreement, sellers capitalizing on the trend occasionally try to fudge the largely unregulated term. Some grocery stores may define local as within a large group of states, while consumers might think it means right in their hometown.
"It's a sales gimmick," says Allen Swann, a Maryland farmer who became frustrated when he realized a nearby grocery chain was selling peaches and corn from New York and New Jersey as local produce. "They are using the word local because of the economic advantage of using the word local."
A federal definition is unlikely because of the diversity of crops and growing regions around the country. A set distance or definition that works for one state or one crop may not make sense for others. But some states have taken a crack at it.
Vermont defines "local" as grown within the state or within 48km of where it is sold. Massachusetts has similar restrictions for the word "native." And numerous other states have made it easier for local farmers to advertise that their food was produced in-state.
Maryland recently proposed a new rule that would require retailers to disclose what state a food is from if they advertise it as locally grown.
Maryland Agriculture Secretary Earl "Buddy" Hance says the state settled on that approach so consumers could be the ones to decide what they think is local.
The US Agriculture Department has found that there is no generally accepted definition of local food. With few regulations, retailers have different standards.
The Agriculture Department says consumer preferences for locally grown food can mean more jobs and profits for local farmers and higher produce sales in stores. The department estimates that locally grown foods will generate US$7 billion in sales this year, up from US$5 billion in 2007.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
