...but I am very skeptical about the benefits of the local food movement. First, I feel there is an obvious contradiction in that many (but not all, of course) supporters of the local food movement tend to also (overtly) support third world development. Many (again, not all) third world countries have agricultural export economies. Buying local equals not buying from third world farmers, and unless some magic development scheme can be instantaneously implemented to offset these lost exports, the third world will suffer.
And regarding our "carbon footprints," dubious evidence exists that connects non-local foods to higher green gas emissions. There is no doubt that non-local food has more "food miles," non-local food may actual incorporate much more energy-efficient production methods. As this Tim Harford article explains, "local" doesn't necessarily imply "natural," and many locally grown foods require temperature-controlled greenhouses (strange...that word looks incomplete without "gas" attached to it's end...) and large energy-eating storage facilities. The total carbon footprint of a pound of locally grown food may be more than one shipped from halfway around the world.
There are many arguments in support of this moment, and I am sympathetic to ones concerning fostering a sense of "community" and a "warm, fuzzy feeling" you might get eating that locally grown dining hall apple, but be cautious about wielding efficiency as a pro-local food argument.
A good academic article exploring this phenomena: http://www.regsw.org.uk/content/industryreports/viewitem.aspx?artID=4624
Sean
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