Why you should shop local
By Catalogs Editorial Staff
The reasons why you should shop local might inspire you to spend money close to
Shopping local has become a major cultural movement recently. People may be wondering why exactly it matters where you get your food from and, more specifically, why it matters if that food has come from somewhere close by.
Learn the economical, cultural, and health benefits of shopping for goods from local sources. Shopping local isn?t always easy, it can involve dealing with small businesses that do not have the customer volume to offer deep discounts we have come to expect from the big-box shopping super-centers. You?ll have a better idea of why it?s important to at least make some effort to support local businesses from the following points.
For the sake of brevity the following focus is primarily on the benefits of shopping locally for foods.
Food Availability
Shopping local can help communities avoid becoming wat is sometimes referred to as a ?food desert.?
Consider this: if a community is largely devoid of local food producers then people who cannot afford to travel to buy food will be stuck with a limited nutrition selection.
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Shopping local helps to avoid this because of you support local grocers and growers then there will continue to be a readily available selection of nutritious foods in your area. However, if people continue to travel to larger cities to shop at supermarkets in order to receive a discount those local grocers will be forced out of business, thereby negatively impact those who cannot afford to travel for grocery shopping.
Locally Sourced Foods Tend to be Healthier
Locally sourced foods from smaller farms tend to contain less in the way of commercial pesticides, chemical dyes used to make food look more presentable (especially in meats), and the organisms tend to undergo less genetic modification.
All of this adds up to a healthier, more sustainable product. Local farmers also use methods which impact the environment less, which means shopping local is also better for the planet.
Shopping Local Helps the Local Economy
When you shop local you support the local economy. If you support a local business selling locally sourced foods, you help to ensure the growth of the local businesses. When these businesses grow they are then able to hire local people to staff their stores, farms, etc. This will bring other businesses into the area which will then help support more jobs.
A thriving local economy helps you save money when you shop, too. Look for local coupons, grocery incentives, and co-op opportunities. Often what is grown and sold local is less expensive than what is trucked into your community.
When you shop local you are helping to grow not only the business you are supporting with your patronage, but also your community as a whole. All of this revenue coming into your area will help fund better schools, better infrastructure and help support important community initiatives.
This short synopsis has provided context for the nationwide movement to get people to support their local economies. Surely trade between communities will always be important and vital to society, but it is also important to remember that there are may great benefits to making the effort to support small businesses and their partners within your own community.
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