Question

is buying local the same as buying organic?

Answer 1

No buying local is not same as buying organic.

Buying local means the food products that are grown, processed and sold within a certain region. Although there is no particular definition about this, but consumers think that local products are directly picked from their local area farmers. Customers who buy from the local farmer's markets or directly from the nearby farm believe that, these products are of high quality and don't hesitate to pay high price for it. Local food products are full of nutrition and chemical free. These products are also fresh while they are on sale.

Local foods are produced more ethically. Take the case of rice, when a small-scale local farmer cultivate rice, he uses organic fertilisers to improve soil fertility. Small farmers are always looking for the biological solution, they use cowdung and compost as manures. They invite natural pest enemies to keep their crop pest free. So local foods are more environmental friendly and healthier for humanbeings.

Organic foods are certified as organic and can be produced anywhere in the world. As organic certifications are expensive,not all small farmers can afford it. But their cultivation process is more ethical. Organic foods are free from synthetic chemicals and artificial growth hormones. Organic foods may be healthy and nutritious but their cultivation practices may not be ethical as local farmers. The organic chicken growers may feed their chicken organically but do not let them to move around outside where they can eat bugs and worms, which are really meant for them.

On the contrary, local farmers let their chicken to collect food from their surrounding and grow naturally. These type of chickens are more healthier and disease free than organically feed chickens.

Some local products are organic certified, while some are not due to high cost. But still local products are more safe to buy as they are naturally grown and free from all chemicals, whereas in case of organic products, the farm practices are not natural although they use organic fertilizers and food for their animals.