When I do this buy at the supermarketThe majority of consumers are not aware of the origin of the product they purchase. This is how they can consume food from both Spain and anywhere else in the world. But after the pandemic, many people changed their purchasing habits and became increasingly concerned about what they eat and where it comes from. healthier diet and more sustainable consumption.
Almost 59% of the population already checks the origin of food According to a report prepared by the CEU University of Food and Society Research Institute in collaboration with the Mapfre Foundation, local products are given priority when purchasing.
‘Milestone zero’ or local foods are foods consumed within a short distance of where they are produced.. In this way, the processes a product will go through from growing to reaching the consumer will be as short as possible, which will benefit both human health and the climate. This positive effect is generally due to the use of fewer pesticides and the fact that they are grown more naturally. In addition, since sales are made to closer consumers, the transportation of this product is less and therefore less pollution occurs.
‘Milestone zero’ or local foods are foods consumed within a short distance of where they are produced.
However, in order for a food to be considered local and not have a negative impact on the environment, it must meet a number of conditions. “It’s not just produced in a particular region,” says Javier Guzmán, director of the organization Justicia Alimentaria. “You have to know what is produced, who produces it, and for whom it is produced.”.
From this organization they not only consider: It is important that these foods are grown in an environment 150 or 250 kilometers away from where they will be consumed.. For a product to be considered local, it must also be part of the country’s own diet, which in Spain means the Mediterranean diet, and it must also be seasonal. Secondly, considering the place of production, we should stay away from companies that have large areas with greenhouses and whose main purpose is export to other countries.
Another issue that Food Justice takes into consideration is The ultimate goal of these foods is that they should be aimed at local customers. When it comes to oil, this product has always been considered one of the most representative of Spain. However, in recent years, approximately 90% of production has been export-oriented.
It is important that these foods are grown in an environment 150 or 250 kilometers away from where they will be consumed.
In large supermarket chains, customers can find a wide variety of products. However, only the organic ones can be distinguished from the others thanks to their official labeling. Consumption of this type of food has been increasing over the years in Spain. According to Ecovalia’s Annual Report on Organic Production in Spain 2023, in 2022 Spaniards spent up to 60 euros per year on such products.
Not all organic products are local
Guzmán explains that these foods “have European certification and do not use chemical pesticides for their cultivation.” At first glance, such products may seem environmentally friendly to the customer. But, Organic does not necessarily mean local or nearby.Therefore, it can confuse customers in many cases.
“You can find these types of foods produced organically, so they don’t use a range of pesticides, but we export them to Germany, the United States or China,” resulting in a CO2 footprint. What’s more, “the impact is huge, for example in terms of water consumption.”
Therefore, for a product to be labeled as organic only guarantees that they are not used chemicals.
This can cause customers problems when buying local produce at the supermarket because “it’s very difficult to see where it comes from” due to the lack of information on the labels. Therefore, Guzmán recommends that to ensure that a local food is consumed, the best thing is to “buy it at the grocery store or from consumer cooperatives, that is, places where you can evaluate it and know where it comes from and what it is.” This is how it is done.
Lack of information on labels regarding local product
Lack of information on labels It is a result of the lack of legal regulation regarding the geographical origin of the product. The only ones that are regulated and have an official label are the organic ones, explains Guzmán.
In the case of Spain, “we don’t have any regulations on what the local product requires,” he admits. For example, in Catalonia, there is a guide on “How to do local sales correctly” prepared by the Generalitat in 2013. However, this initiative does not regulate the local produce itself, but rather affects where these foods are sold.
One of the solutions proposed by Food Justice is «Smart tagging that allows us to know not only whether it is local or not, but also its impact” positive or negative.
Large multinational companies often advertise local and local products, when in reality they are not.
On the other hand, more and more large companies are bombarding their customers with advertisements promoting their products locally or nearby. «Large multinational companies have tried to fill these qualities with products that have nothing to do with them.», they clarify from the organization.
The organization’s director adds that regulating such advertising requires “public intervention and a food policy behind it, which may be financial or otherwise.”
A few decades ago, all that was consumed was local produce. But everything has changed. “In recent years, we have begun to import and export products in a globalized system that is leaking from all sides,” Guzmán emphasizes. “Our country has gone from relying on local food to being an agricultural exporter where we ship food back and forth without making any sense with the climate and energy impact it now has,” Guzmán explains. This Increase in exports requiring extensive use of polluting transport Marketing of products in other countries is one of the aggravating factors of the climate crisis.
More markets and fewer supermarkets
To buy local products Local markets are a safe option. “In my case, we try to bring in national green beans, because the difference is very noticeable when eating them,” says Mari Mar, owner of a fruit and vegetable stall at one of Madrid’s local markets. “Young people ask a lot about seasonal produce and whether they’re local,” she adds. However, he thinks the number of people buying from such traditional markets in general is decreasing because “it depends largely on the time and financial resources they have.”
“I try to buy from local markets, especially fruits and vegetables,” says Laura, a young consumer, explaining that she doesn’t buy everything she should at the market “for economic reasons.” But consider this This type of consumption has a positive impact “for the farmers in the region, for the people who sell these products in the market, for our health and for the environment.”
For this reason, while young people go to markets to be healthier and reduce climate change, older people prefer to shop in these establishments for other reasons: “A place I’ve been coming to all my life” Delia, who values ”the closeness they showed me” above all else, says:
In other cases, consumers go to local markets in search of reassuring products: “I look at what I’m buying and I know it’s quality”explains Ángeles, admitting that he often “buys products in bad condition” from large supermarkets and has to throw them away.
And the fruits, vegetables or vegetables (as well as meat in many cases) come from nearby farms and estates. Moreover, its growth was achieved without the use of chemicals and by respecting the time and season of each crop.
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