Report
on value of local produce welcomed
Penwith Environmental Network welcomes a new report which
highlights the vital role of local food producers in underpinning
the local economy. The study by the New Economics Foundation
featuring Cornwall based Cusgarne Organics shows that every
£10 spent on a local food product becomes worth £25 as it
re-circulates in the local economy.
Buy Local
Buying local food, either direct from the producer or through
a locally owned retailer, means that the money spent is returned
to the local economy and not siphoned away by an outside company.
The New Economics Foundation report shows that money spent
on locally produced food generates almost twice as much income
for the local economy as the same amount spent in a supermarket.
Every time our hard earned local money is spent some leaks
out of the local economy and leaves the area. A higher proportion
leaks out when we buy food from supermarket chains. By buying
locally produced food (and other local goods and services)
we strengthen the local economy by "plugging the leaks".
Local Produce From Penwith
In an area "at the end of the line", like Penwith, local purchasing
is even more important to the local economy by reducing the
amount of fresh produce sent "up the line" for processing
and packing and which is then transported back at full retail
value.
Local purchasing reduces the distance that food is transported
which benefits the environment by reducing the number of heavy
lorries on the road. A quarter of all freight traffic in this
country is carrying food, drink and tobacco and is continuing
to increase, adding to road congestion and pollution. Much
of the fresh produce we buy has been transported across Europe
and from further afield even though the same products are
made here, often in the same season.
Social Benefits
Besides the economic and environmental gains, plugging the
leaks also has social benefits such as maintaining local shops
and stores, which are a lifeline for community health. It
also helps more people to work where they live rather than
commute. Communities are strengthened as face-to-face
transactions between two people who get to know each other
have greater value than more impersonal transactions over
long distances by, for example, telephone.
