Promoting local products is important for both economy, environment, and society

Promoting a local food system is a common strategy used by many communities to achieve fair and sustainable economic growth. This often includes a variety of economic initiatives, such as food hubs, farmers markets, community-supported agriculture related enterprises, and urban farming and agriculture activities. Sometimes it involves intermediary marketing channels such as grocery shops and broad-line wholesalers who are willing to supply local foods. Keywords: Local food system, sustainable economic growth, community development

1. Introduction

Local products often have more environmental sustainability and significant economic contributions. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, American farmers sold £8.7 billion worth of agricultural products through local food markets in 2015. They sell to customers directly through roadside stands, farmers markets, on-farm enterprises, and community-supported agriculture partnerships, accounting for 35% (£3 billion) of these sales. It has expanded frequently to incorporate links with public health programming, food systems partnerships, season extensions, and consumer-friendly product offerings and operational models, though initially to emphasize sustainable agriculture, shared production risk, and consumer involvement in the farm operation. The growing recognition of local community products’ objective has, in a sense, succeeded in how sustainability is framed in a broader context to encompass social, economic, and environmental benefits.

1. It is important to educate customers about the benefits of buying goods made in the region. A study found that eating locally produced food also Significantly reduces transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, Promoting local products benefits both the local economy and the environment because they contain a sustainable, health diet that should have a minimal impact on the environment, Promote people’s well-being, and be affordable and culturally acceptable due to their advantages for the well-being of both people and the planet. For this reason, people are more likely to act in an environmental friendly way when they feel that they have a moral duty to preserve the environment and that they are accountable for the results of their activities.

2. Advocates of ‘’buy local’’ argue that buying locally is better for

1 Jablonski, B. B., Sullins, M., & Thilmany McFadden, D. (2019). Community-supported agriculture marketing performance: Results from pilot market channel assessments in Colorado. Sustainability, 11(10), 2950. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11102950

2 Pasquariello, R., Bianchi, M., Mari, F., & Caso, D. (2024). Fostering local seasonality: An extended value-belief-norm model to understand sustainable food choices. Food Quality and Preference, 120, 105248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105248 the community, local economy, and environment along with the fact that local food is safer, healthier, and tastier than nonlocal products. The first social reason for purchasing food produced nearby is environmental. It has been suggested that purchasing foods that are produced locally lowers the distance that food must travel between production and consumption 3.

1.2 Environmental sustainability of local products

Local food is frequently linked with sustainability through the notion of ‘’food miles,’’ which holds that transportation-related emissions are significant enough to be used to calculate a product’s ‘carbon footprint. Local food is therefore implied to be more sustainable in terms of climate impacts due to its less transportation. local products always depends on short supply chains, however, can need less packaging minimize food loses that would normally occur between the manufacturing and marketing processes 4.

This essay elaborates on this by arguing that in the majority of western, industrialized economies today, local food systems are the most effective source of sustainable food products. Short supply chains and the typical methods used by producers and retailers in a local food system contribute to the sustainability of environment and local markets 5.

The Republic of Serbia affirms that developing the production of regional food products would help to improve ecological systems and stop the loss of biodiversity while also boosting the financial standing of farmers, who are backbone of sustainable local development 6. Some people believe an enthusiastic view of local as fresher, safer, and healthier than imported goods, while others challenge the growing amount of imports in the national food market and consider local food to be a more climate-friendly and sustainable alternative 7.

Moreover, products made locally help environmental preservation and sustainable development while also sustainable the local economy

8.3 Ferguson, B., & Thompson, C. (2021). Why buy local? Journal of Applied Philosophy, 38(1), 104-120. https://doi.org/10.1111/japp.12459

4 Stein, A. J., & Santini, F. (2022). The sustainability of “local” food: A review for policymakers. Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, 103(1), 77-89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41130-021-00148-w

5 Shindelar, R. (2015). The ecological sustainability of local food systems. RCC Perspectives, (1), 19-24. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26241302

6 Cvijanović, D., Ignjatijević, S., Vapa Tankosić, J., & Cvijanović, V. (2020). Do local food products contribute to sustainable economic development? Sustainability, 12(7), 2847. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072847

7 Aprile, M. C., Caputo, V., & Nayga Jr, R. M. (2016). Consumers’ preferences and attitudes toward local food products. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 22(1), 19-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2014.09.014

8 Țigan, E., Brînzan, O., Obrad, C., Lungu, M., Mateoc-Sîrb, N., Milin, I. A., & Gavrilaș, S. (2021). The consumption of organic, traditional, and/or European eco-label products: elements of local production and sustainability. Sustainability, 13(17), 9944. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179944