The Locavore's Dilemma

All that is grassy is not green. There are many good reasons to like local food, but any large-scale metropolitan farming will do more harm than good to the environment. Devoting scarce metropolitan land to agriculture means lower density levels, longer drives, and carbon emission increases which easily offset the modest greenhouse gas reductions associated with shipping less food. Last year, I chaired the Citizen’s Committee for the Future of Boston, and our report endorsed urban vegetable gardens. Super-chef and committee member Barbara Lynch emphasized the educational value of letting children see food grow and I agreed with her. I share the locavore view that local food tastes better (especially oysters), and that there is something wonderful about eating something you’ve grown yourself.