The Lowdown On Buying Local

Fruit Market analysts Belrose, Inc. have issued a free report analyzing the potential effects of the buying local food movement on growers, consumers, retailers, agribusinesses, communities, economic development, and the environment.

The report, written by American/Western Fruit Grower columnist and former Washington State University professor of agricultural economics, Dr. Desmond O’Rourke, illustrates the promise and pitfalls of the buy local movement.

One key point the report makes is that it’s necessary to first define “local.”

“Without a clear definition of ‘local,’ it will be impossible to verify claims that a product is ‘local,’ the report states. “The greater the potential for deception in local claims, the more rapidly the term will become debased.”

It then goes on to point out the various definitions as they exist today, including how consumers define the term. “Consumers know what ‘local’ means to them, but their perceptions are not uniform across locations,” the report states.

To see the Lowdown on Buying Local report in full, download it at www.e-belrose.com.