Eating local – what’s the hype?
 
Local food, eat local, support local… this buzzword is being used a lot at the moment (you’ve probably heard us using it to!), but what does it mean? And why should you care? Well, just 9 supermarkets are selling nearly 95% of our food, at a cost to the environment, our health and our communities. Despite the unrealistically cheap veg you can find in Tesco today, millions are in food poverty.
 
When we say ‘local’, we don’t just mean bought from the nearest shop… we mean food that is part of a short, transparent supply chain, where the farmers are paid a proper wage, and you can trace your food from ‘farm to fork’. We also mean food that is grown in an environmentally friendly way, protecting the ecosystem for today and future generations, farming organically, and considering biodiversity. Our definition of local food considers the implications of that food on the wider, local environment. For us, local food also supports local communities and economies, giving people the chance to get involved with the farm where their food was grown through volunteering, markets, open days and regular communication.

Enfield Veg Co is proud to be a member of the Better Food Shed, a network of local food growers, veg bag schemes and organic farms. Members of BFT are paid a fair price for their food, and Together with the 170 other members of Better Food Shed, we are working to change the food system for the better. Through this network of members and supporters, over 350 climate and nature-friendly farms are being supported every day. According to Sustain, three times more from each pound goes to farmers when you buy from a Better Food Shed trader.