We are what we eat – Healing through local food systems
By Fenja Neumann
August 28, 2024
Local market garden in Mecklenburg Western Pommerania, Germany. © Fenja Neumann
Have you ever heard of the saying “You are what you eat”? Well, we literally are. Modern research has proven that the gut is directly connected to the brain, which means that the food we eat influences our brain chemistry1. Not only can food determine our mood, but it also affects our immune system. Thus, besides providing us with energy and nutrients, food can reduce or enhance diseases and it impacts our biochemistry2. There is a growing awareness that what we put into our mouths is important, but how well do we really eat?
If we take a closer look at the global food system, we will find that it doesn’t nourish us as it should, but rather creates a cascade of health-related problems. As we walk through our supermarkets, it becomes evident that unprocessed food, such as organic vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and raw animal products, is much more expensive than processed goods. One reason for this is that our globalised food system heavily relies on imports3. In 2022, approximately 75% of vegetables and 37% of fruit were imported, largely from the US20,21. However, in 2019, Canada also exported around 1 million tonnes of vegetables, while over 2 million tonnes were still imported21. This indicates that greater self-sufficiency is possible if Canadian produce largely remains within the domestic food system. Quebec, for example, improved its self-sufficiency for greenhouse-grown vegetables from 30% to 50%, now targeting 80%22.
One aspect that surprised me is that five large retailers hold 76% of the market share in Canada23. And while the net revenues of Canadian grocers have been steadily growing (e.g., from 1.4 billion in 2017 to 2.6 billion $ in 20214), the prices for the consumer are skyrocketing, with an increase of over 10% for most provinces in 2022 alone5. With 6.9 million (17.8%) food-insecure Canadians in 20236, it seems outrageous that approximately 20% of all food produced in the country is wasted every year19.
Sadly, the food that is affordable for lower-income households is often highly processed, nutrient-deficient, and detrimental to our health7. This kind of diet is frequently associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and strokes. Moreover, the global food system is built on a highly unsustainable industrial agriculture. It enhances climate change, degrades our soils, pollutes our waters and poisons our nature. And as we are an integral part of nature, it directly affects us. It has been proven, for example, that certain pesticides can promote cancer, developmental- and reproductive impairments, and changes in the immune system. Unfortunately, industrial meat production looks just as dire. Factory farming is not only an ethical disaster, it also increases the spread of zoonotic diseases between animals and humans and promotes antimicrobial resistance, both of which can be fatal7. I think it’s safe to say that if the price of food is health, it’s too high.
Crop field being sprayed with pesticides. © PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
But where do we start to heal from a system that literally makes us sick? The answer is quite simple: Locally. The current agricultural industry is very centralised8 – A small number of large-scale farms sell to a few big wholesalers or retailers. While the last pandemic clearly demonstrated that this import-dependent system threatens our food security9, local food systems (LFS) are regarded as more resilient and thus received increasing attention10. They can be interpreted as “collaborative networks that integrate sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management in order to enhance the environmental, economic, and social health of a particular place”11. The government of Canada considers food as local when it’s produced within the province or 50 km beyond12, whereas it’s only a radius of 20 – 100 km within European countries13. There are many ways to acquire local products, for example at farmers' markets, or directly from the producers. Other options include food boxes, community gardens, community-supported agriculture, food hubs, restaurants, (local) retail, or even wholesale10. But the closer, the better.
Community-supported agriculture (CSA) in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. They farm bio-intensive and regenerative on 1,4 acres and supply 80 households with fresh vegetables once per week. © Fenja Neumann
Local food systems have tremendous benefits on different levels. They support local economies and small-scale, family-owned farms14. While currently, large corporations have the power over our food, LFS can increase our food sovereignty, as they allow us to build relationships with producers and support them in their practices – actively or passively. Being involved in farming can be healing in itself. Reconnecting with nature through gardening bears great potential to improve our mental health15. Small-scale local farms don’t rely on pesticides and antibiotics, as diseases are not spread as easily as in factory farming. While they may still apply it, it’s likely to a much lesser extent, and studies show that local producers often farm organically16. So locally grown food is not only healthier, it also contains more flavour and vitamins due to the short transport routes. This also benefits the climate by saving greenhouse gas emissions. Local farms often have a greater interest in caring for the land they depend on. Sustainable practices help to reduce environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation.
Despite the advantages of LFS, they only account for a small portion of the overall food consumption in Canada. While local in-season vegetables and fruit can be cheaper than in grocery stores17, consumers are unquestionably facing access barriers for some products, especially pricing18. Competing with global players is challenging, and there are still many other economic and political barriers to expanding LFS. Nevertheless, our health depends on the transformation towards sustainable food production, and local food systems are a good starting point. Depending on financial and personal resources, there are many ways to get involved in LFS, for example by:
♥ checking out https://farmfolkcityfolk.ca/ and https://youngagrarians.org/ for local farms, CSA’s and young farmer’s initiatives
♥ growing food in our own yard or community gardens, urban farms, etc.
♥ shopping at farmer’s markets or buying directly from local farmers and producers
♥ getting involved in CSA’s or subscribing to local food boxes
♥ purchasing seasonal and local products in the grocery store
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