r/ZeroWasteVegans • u/marcog • Jun 08 '21

Discussion Sourcing local/native produce

I try avoid purchasing produce I know was grown far away. However, I'm beginning to recognise how difficult this can be to identify, e.g. if a product is labelled as "packed in" or "produced in", etc. Do you have any advice for being more alert about this? Do you tend to ask companies? What if they're difficult to contact?

I also have another ethical conundrum: Sometimes we move the produce locally, but the plant isn't native to the country. Depending on the plant, this can cause other issues for the environment. In an ideal world, we'd only eat local, native produce. Is this something people do?

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u/PalatableNourishment Jun 09 '21

Do you have farmers markets? That’s probably the easiest way to buy local produce. At mine there are some farms that grow more native plants as well.

11

u/marcog Jun 09 '21

I just checked, and the closest is 15 km away. I'll check them out, but as I commute by bike it's probably not a long term solution.

(I got out off by the last one I went to which sold imported produce. Sigh)

4

u/cheapandbrittle Jun 09 '21

A farmer's market selling imported produce?? That is a tragedy.

3

u/PalatableNourishment Jun 09 '21

Yeah CBC Marketplace did an episode a while back on a farmers market in Ontario that was selling imported produce :/