Local products: 6 good reasons to buy them

Proximity product is a concept that means consumption of a good produced at a short distance. With them, the steps between producer and consumer are shortened, avoiding intermediaries and associated costs.

It is a form of consumption that competes with the large food supply of the large surfaces. Local foods are sold in an immediate environment, that is, a few kilometers from the area where they have been produced. Today we will see what good reasons there are to buy local products.

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The 6 good reasons to buy local products

There is more and more talk about buying local products. Although we may misthink about who benefits the most from this type of trade, the truth is that by adopting this form of consumption, we are all the beneficiaries.

This way of marketing food products benefits producers, consumers and humanity itself and the planet. Next we will see what are the good reasons to buy proximity products.

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1. Cost what you pay

By consuming proximity products you do not have to pay many undesirable extra costs. In order for the merchandise to reach the consumer, it must normally be transported, packed and placed on a shelf. These are steps that increase the original price of the products and that you pay in the end.

If large-scale distribution products can compete with local ones, it is because they cut costs in production methods. There are different ways to lower production costs, but basically they are based on mass cultivation.

Producing food in countries with cheaper labor and land use is one way. Then, monocultures and the help of pesticides are just as or more important factors.

2. It is sustainable and you help the planet

Choosing zero kilometer products protects the environment and slows down climate change. International trade contributes to the deterioration of the planet through the emission of polluting and greenhouse gases.

Seasonal products allow savings in production costs, where the use of water and energy is limited, in addition to not requiring a washing and packaging process.

The use of containers and packaging grows when the product has to make a long journey, increasing the proliferation of garbage and waste. In addition, long-distance transportation carries other storage, packaging and fuel costs.

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3. Watch your health

In general, proximity production uses less invasive techniques than in large monocultures. That means avoiding a lot of traces of synthetic antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, which are especially harmful to children and adults.

That is why they are often associated with the ecological. In any case, for a product to be organic, various certifications are required, even for the seeds. The certificate implies that a percentage of the billing goes directly to the regulatory council. And sometimes it is paradoxical that eating healthy has to be more expensive.

That is why kilometer 0 is given more importance to the traditional way of doing things and to trust in local sales than to the ecological seal itself. A relationship of trust is established that has dazzled even many quality restaurants and the “slow food” philosophy.

4. Favor your community

Consuming local products promotes agricultural and livestock work in your area. By consuming a product produced in the immediate environment we contribute to the maintenance of small family, agricultural and livestock farms.

It is a way to ensure a higher income. By rebound we facilitate that conventional commercial channels are interested in offering your product.

A living rural environment is very important so that villages are not abandoned and the functioning of society does not depend on the main urban centers.

In this way we protect vital work that helps maintain local customs and protect decent working conditions in the sector.

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5. You can meet and visit the producer

The proximity of these farms allows you to visit the producer. How can you find more transparency? Looking closely at the products you buy and how the final result is reached allows you to verify that it is a good fresh product.

Small producers generally appreciate consumer interest in their product. Visiting an agricultural or livestock farm or an artisanal production center for cheese, wine or many other products can be a great idea. You could even have a good time there with friends and family!

6. Promote a fairer global economy

With proximity products we create new forms of exchange and cooperation between producers and consumers. We are committed to creating a fairer and more future-oriented economy for people, since by strengthening the direct relationship between them, intermediaries are eliminated.

The majority control of consumption is now in the hands of distribution chains, which benefit from free trade. This does not favor that the products are paid at fair prices.

The quality of products with a higher nutritional contribution, and the empowerment of producers and consumers can put pressure on large corporations.

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Bibliographic references

• Alonso, R., Estrada, M. and Sartorius, A. (2007). Retail markets as an engine for the economic, social and cultural development of a city, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C.

• Navereau, B. (2007). Local commerce. Towards an awareness raising on the part of private and public actors (Tolosa and Zaragoza). Trade and Public Policies. TRACE (Travaux et Recherches dans les Amériques du Center), 51, 15-27.

• Reguera, P. and Iglesias, P. (2015). Asturias, local cuisine. Oviedo: Nobel Editions.