Study: Most in U.S. could eat food grown nearby
By Roberto A. Ferdman, Washington Post
There are so many mantras of the modern day food movement that keeping track of any one single goal can be a tall task. But no matter whom you ask, there seems to be at least one concern that arises time and time again. The ascent of big food companies, which have allowed Americans to eat more foods, more cheaply, and at more times of the year than ever before, has led to a massive decline in the amount of food we source from nearby farms.
The response to our current, largely commercial food system is often a simple reminder that feeding this many finicky people is a job too big for localized food systems. All the romantic things that come with local food—small farms, seasonal produce, less guilt—are difficult to provide when cities like New York house almost 10 million people.
As much as 90 percent of Americans could eat food grown within 100 miles of their home, according to a new study by professors Andrew Zumkehr and J Elliott Campbell, who teach engineering at the University of California. More than 80 percent of mouths could be fed with food grown within 50 miles.