Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2017·Global

Local food: benefits and failings due to modern agriculture

Fábio Cunha Coelho, Enilce Maria Coelho, Monika Egerer

Scientia Agricola

Urban Farm DB summary

A review paper on the consumption of locally produced food examines its relationship to local and global sustainability, the effect of transport distance ("food miles"), low-carbon farming practices, urban agriculture's contribution to local food, and links to nutrition and health. It states that transportation is not the sole determinant of how efficiently local food is consumed — the agricultural technologies used are often more responsible for the degree of sustainability — and that local production does not always mean lower greenhouse gas emissions.